Report: Tottenham duo handed two-match bans by FIFA

Cristian Romero and on-loan Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso have both been handed a two-match international ban by FIFA after the fiasco surrounding the cancellation of a Brazil vs Argentine World Cup qualifier back in October.

Romero and Lo Celso were both part of Argentina’s squad who travelled to Brazil for a World Cup qualifier a few months ago but, in a bizarre turn of events, officials from Brazil’s national health surveillance agency walked onto the pitch to stop the match just a few minutes after kick-off (ESPN).

The officials accused the Spurs pair, as well as Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, of failing to disclose that they had been in the UK over the last 14 days, which would have required them to quarantine upon entering Brazil (Sky Sports).

The two Spurs stars subsequently missed a few matches for their club as they had to serve a 10-day quarantine before re-entering the UK (Independent).

FIFA have now ruled that the World Cup qualifier will be replayed and have hit both the Brazilian and the Argentinean football associations with fines.

In addition, they banned Romero, Lo Celso and the Villa pair from two international matches for “not complying with the FIFA Return to Football International Match Protocol.”

Spurs Web Opinion

This is a boost for Tottenham as it means that Romero will not be joining up with the Argentina squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador next month.

The centre-back remaining at Hotspur Way not only reduces the chance of him picking up an injury but will also mean that he is fresh when the Premier League resumes after the international break.

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