Richarlison's Anger After Cup Omission Sparks Tensions at Tottenham

Richarlison has gone public with his anger after being left out of Tottenham’s squad for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, throwing fresh fuel on an already uneasy situation in north London.

The Brazil forward reacted on social media, sharing a post highlighting his omission and adding a single word: “Why?” followed by a crying, sad-faced emoji. One word, one symbol – but the message was unmistakable. He is not happy, and he wants everyone to know it.

This latest flashpoint comes just days after his proposed move to Vasco da Gama collapsed. Tottenham and the Brazilian club were understood to have agreed a fee for the 29-year-old, but the deal broke down when personal terms were not settled before the Brazilian transfer window shut on Friday. A route home appeared to be open, then slammed shut in the space of a few days.

Against that backdrop, Roberto de Zerbi’s decision to leave him out of the cup squad always threatened to carry extra weight. The Spurs head coach did not hide his frustration when asked about the situation in his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“At the start of this season, I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay and he didn't want to,” De Zerbi said. “I can't go every day to pray for him to stay.

“What I have done at the beginning of this season has been to speak with him and to propose an extension of the contract. If he said, ‘no thank you,’ I finished my job.”

Those words drew a hard line. De Zerbi made it clear he sees his responsibility as having already been met: talks held, a contract extension offered, the player unconvinced. From there, the dynamic shifted.

“I know what happened in the last 45 days. It's not right if I explained. It's not my behaviour,” he added. “The relationship, the problem is between the player and the club.”

With that, De Zerbi effectively stepped back from the firing line, hinting at internal tensions without airing them. The manager has framed the issue as one for Richarlison and the hierarchy to resolve.

For now, the image lingers: a Brazil international watching from the outside as Tottenham prepare for Liverpool, asking “Why?” into the void of social media. The real answer may come not in a post, but in whether he has any future left at Spurs once this turbulent spell settles – if it settles at all.