“No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position. Keep your head up and you will go again,” David de Gea stated on his X account, in a message for Tottenham’s Antonin Kinsky.
De Gea’s message arrived shortly after Tottenham subbed off goalkeeper Kinsky after conceding three goals in 15 minutes against Atletico Madrid. The 22-year-old Czech was making his first ever start in the UEFA Champions League. Needless to say, he won’t forget about it anytime soon, though for the wrong reason.
Tottenham‘s struggles extend to the European level. The North London-based club is flirting with relegation in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, and it is now in the brink of elimination after a disheartening performance in Madrid.
Romero may have called for Kinsky to be subbed-off
As Cristian Romero is the captain of Tottenham Hotspur, he serves as a leader on and off the pitch for Spurs. Thus, when things go south—as they have lately for Tottenham—the team looks to its skipper.
According to a video circulating on social media, even manager Igor Tudor listens to what Romero has to say. After Antonin Kinsky’s second blunder led directly to Atlético Madrid’s third goal, Romero held a brief chat with Tudor, who immediately signaled for a substitution.
Pending confirmation from Tudor or Romero, all signs indicate it was the captain who noticed his teammate was mentally out of the game and urged his manager to replace him before it was too late. For Tottenham’s aspirations in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League, it very well may have been.