Igor Tudor highlights ‘leader’ Cristian Romero’s mentality ahead of key return for Tottenham Hotspur

Madrid – Tottenham Hotspur will step onto the Wanda Metropolitano pitch on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Atlético Madrid with a welcome sight in the travelling squad: club captain Cristian Romero is available for selection for the first time since interim head coach Igor Tudor took charge in February.

The 27-year-old Argentine has been absent for four Premier League matches after receiving a second red card of the domestic campaign – a wild lunge on Manchester United’s Casemiro that compounded a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford and extended his personal tally to six matches missed through suspension this season. Those absences, coming during a relegation scrap, left Spurs short of one of their most influential defenders and, according to critics, raised fresh questions about Romero’s suitability to lead the side.

Speaking on the eve of the European encounter, Tudor moved to defend his skipper, detailing the centre-back’s efforts behind closed doors and urging him to re-assert his leadership qualities on the biggest stage.

“He missed a lot,” Tudor told reporters. “He was also not feeling good to be in the circumstances not to help the team. He has been doing a lot. He has been working with the fitness coach and doing a lot of running to be in top condition. Now he can show tomorrow that he is a leader like always.”

The timing of Romero’s return could hardly be more significant. Tottenham, sitting uncomfortably close to the drop zone domestically, view the Champions League as both a respite and an opportunity to salvage pride from a turbulent campaign. A commanding performance against Atlético would not only boost progression hopes but also serve as a personal audition for Romero, who has been linked with a potential move to the Spanish club.

For all his rash moments, the 2022 World Cup winner remains, on his day, among Europe’s elite centre-backs – commanding in the air, quick across the turf and fearless in the tackle. Yet those same traits have too often tipped into recklessness, leaving team-mates to shoulder the consequences. Tuesday night offers Romero a chance to flip that narrative, channelling aggression into assurance and guiding a patched-up back line against one of the continent’s most streetwise attacks.

Tudor, aware of both the risks and rewards, stopped short of guaranteeing a start but left little doubt that Romero’s presence has already lifted the squad. Whether the Argentine can marry discipline with dominance will go a long way toward deciding not only Tottenham’s European fate but also the credibility of his own captaincy.

Kick-off in the Spanish capital is scheduled for 21:00 CET, and all eyes will be on the visitor with the armband – a player who knows this is as much a test of temperament as it is of talent.