Richarlison’s Frustration Over Carabao Cup Snub Reveals Tottenham Tensions

Richarlison has gone public with his frustration after Roberto De Zerbi left him out of Tottenham’s squad for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, underlining a relationship that now looks badly frayed.

The Brazil forward reacted in real time on social media, sharing a screenshot of a post highlighting his omission and adding a single word – “Why?” – followed by a tearful, sad-faced emoji. It was brief, raw and impossible to misinterpret.

For a player already walking a tightrope over his future in north London, the timing could hardly be more explosive.

Transfer collapse leaves tension exposed

Richarlison’s situation has been simmering for weeks. A move back to Brazil with Vasco da Gama had been lined up, only to collapse late on.

Sources indicated Tottenham and Vasco had agreed a fee for the 29-year-old, but the deal died when the two sides failed to settle personal terms before the Brazilian transfer window shut on Friday. The door closed. The uncertainty stayed.

All of that formed the backdrop as De Zerbi prepared his side for Liverpool. When the squad list dropped without Richarlison’s name, the forward chose to answer not in a meeting room, but in front of millions of followers.

De Zerbi: “I can’t go every day to pray for him to stay”

De Zerbi did not hide his irritation when asked about the situation in his pre-match press conference on Monday. He painted a picture of a manager who felt he had already gone as far as he could.

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

De Zerbi insisted he had tried to build around Richarlison, even pushing for a longer commitment.

“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 clear: the coach believes he has done his part. Any lingering issues now sit elsewhere.

“The problem is between the player and the club”

De Zerbi hinted at a turbulent spell behind the scenes over the past month and a half, but refused to go into detail.

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

That line draws a hard boundary. De Zerbi is distancing himself from the contractual and personal wrangling, while Richarlison is making it obvious he is far from content with how those decisions are affecting his football.

Tottenham now face a combustible mix: a high-profile forward unhappy with his role, a manager adamant he has tried to keep him, and a failed transfer that leaves both stuck together, at least for now.