NaijNaira
Tempers ran high in Dublin on Wednesday night following Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, as Harry Maguire and Cristian Romero were involved in a heated post-match exchange.
According to Manchester Evening News, the clash between the two defenders began during the game and continued well after the final whistle. Spurs secured the win with a first-half goal from Brennan Johnson, leaving United without European football next season for the first time in over a decade.
Romero, standing in as captain for Tottenham in Heung-min Son’s absence, collided repeatedly with Maguire during the match. After one challenge involving Rasmus Højlund, the United centre-back was heard exclaiming, “You’re the captain, come on.”
The tension did not subside at full-time. As players queued to collect their medals, Romero approached Maguire with an extended hand in what appeared to be an effort to make peace. The gesture was ignored. Later, Maguire physically intervened when Romero embraced Diogo Dalot, seemingly urging him to return to his own teammates. The situation required staff members to step in and diffuse the moment.
Despite the friction, Maguire interacted warmly with James Maddison — his England and former Leicester City teammate — indicating his frustration may have been personal toward Romero rather than the entire Spurs squad.
United will conclude their season against Aston Villa this weekend, but the sting of defeat in the final and the fallout between players underscores the challenging atmosphere at the club as they face a campaign without European competition.
