Richarlison Expresses Frustration Over Omission from Tottenham Squad
Richarlison has gone public with his frustration at being left out of Tottenham’s squad for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, piling fresh tension onto an already strained situation in north London.
The Brazil forward posted a screenshot of a social media graphic highlighting his omission and added a single-word caption: “Why?” followed by a tearful, sad-faced emoji. No explanation. No context. Just a pointed question aimed squarely at the decision that kept him out of Roberto De Zerbi’s plans.
A transfer that never happened
The outburst comes on the back of a failed move that was supposed to offer Richarlison a reset. A proposed transfer to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama collapsed last week, leaving the 29-year-old stuck in limbo.
Sources indicated Tottenham and Vasco had reached an agreement over a fee, only for the deal to fall apart when personal terms could not be finalised before the Brazilian transfer window shut on Friday. The door closed. The uncertainty stayed.
That breakdown has only intensified doubts over Richarlison’s long-term future at Spurs. Now, being omitted from a high-profile cup tie has dragged those doubts into the open.
De Zerbi draws his line
De Zerbi did not hide his irritation when he addressed the situation in his pre-match news conference on Monday. The Italian head coach made it clear he felt he had done all he reasonably could to keep the striker on board.
“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.”
He detailed how the club had even moved to secure Richarlison’s future with fresh terms.
“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.”
The message was blunt: the manager believes his responsibility ends where the player’s commitment does.
Tension behind closed doors
De Zerbi also hinted at deeper issues that have unfolded in recent weeks but stopped short of airing them publicly.
“I know what happened in the last 45 days. It's not right if I explained. It's not my behaviour. The relationship, the problem is between the player and the club.”
That line underlined the fault lines at Tottenham. This is no simple selection call or routine squad rotation. It is a stand-off, with the coach stepping back and the club and player left to resolve a relationship that looks increasingly fractured.
Richarlison’s one-word post has now dragged that internal struggle into the spotlight. The next move, on and off the pitch, will say a lot about where his Spurs story goes from here.
