Richarlison's Outburst Over Carabao Cup Omission

Richarlison has gone public with his anger after being left out of Tottenham’s squad for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, laying bare the growing fracture between the Brazilian forward and Roberto De Zerbi.

The 29-year-old posted a screenshot of a social media story highlighting his omission and added a single word: “Why?” followed by a tearful, sad-faced emoji. No explanation. No filter. Just a very clear message to his manager and his club.

This is not a one-off flash of frustration. Richarlison’s future in north London has been hanging in the balance for weeks. A move back to Brazil with Vasco da Gama collapsed late in the window, leaving him in limbo at Tottenham and, now, out of a key cup squad.

Sources indicated Tottenham had agreed a fee with Vasco for the forward, only for the deal to stall on personal terms before the Brazilian transfer window closed on Friday. The paperwork never followed. The door shut. Richarlison stayed.

De Zerbi, speaking on Monday before the Liverpool tie, made it clear he believes he has already done his part to keep the striker committed.

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

He painted a picture of a manager who tried to build a bridge and then stepped back once it was refused.

“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.”

That line felt decisive. De Zerbi has drawn his boundary. From his perspective, the club made an offer, the player turned it down, and the situation moved beyond the coach’s reach.

The Italian hinted at deeper issues behind the scenes but refused to drag them into the open.

“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.”

So the picture is stark. A senior forward who tried to leave, a manager who says he tried to keep him, a transfer that fell apart, and now a public show of discontent over a Carabao Cup omission.

Tottenham have a Liverpool tie to navigate and a season to manage. Richarlison, for the moment, has a question hanging over his head and one word hanging over his social media: “Why?”