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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lewis Pangratiou

Antonio Conte handed surprise Cristian Romero boost for Tottenham as FIFA reach decision

Cristian Romero has been suspended by FIFA for two Argentina matches following the abandoned match against Brazil on September 5, 2021.

The Spurs player, along with the on loan Giovani Lo Celso, were at the centre of a storm that saw the World Cup Qualifier game between Brazil and Argentina suspended after officials from ANVISA - Brazil's national health surveillance agency - walked on to the pitch.

ANVISA claimed that the four Premier League players involved in Argentina's squad - Lo Celso, Romero and Aston Villa's Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez - had entered the country without declaring that they had arrived from the UK, a country which required isolation upon arrival in Brazil for 14 days.

football.london reported back in September that there was anger within Spurs that Lo Celso and summer signing Romero made the trip in the first place because the Premier League had unanimously decided not to release players for international matches played in red list countries.

Romero, Lo Celso and Martinez started the qualifying match which barely got up and running before the health officials entered the field of play.

FIFA have since decided to suspend Romero, Lo Celso, Buendia and Martinez for two international games as a result of not complying with the FIFA Return to Football International Match Protocol.

A statement on FIFA's official website also confirmed that Brazil were fined for "infringements related to security", whilst Argentina were fined "with respect to its failure to comply with its obligations in relation to order and security, the preparation of and its participation in the match."

Both teams have additionally been punished as a result of the match being abandoned.

If the decision isn't appealed, it means that Romero will be unavailable for Argentina's March internationals against Venezuela and Ecuador.

Although he's had injury issues, the defender has largely impressed since signing in the summer and keeping him at Spurs in March may just help Tottenham's push for a Champions League spot.

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