Watching Richarlison and De Zerbi fight on social media like school children is both pathetic and hilarious

Tottenham Tantrum

Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison and manager De Zerbi have become engaged in a feud after the Brazilian striker attempted to force his way out of the club in the summer transfer window.

Richarlison took to social media to express his displeasure at Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to leave him out of Tottenham’s squad for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool.

Responding to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano—who quoted De Zerbi—the forward posted a tearful, sad-faced emoji on X, then took to Instagram to post the same emoji on his story, this time with the caption ‘Why?’

Richarlison’s future has been left in doubt over the past few weeks, with the forward pushing for a move back to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama.

According to sources, the Premier League had agreed a deal for the 29-year-old before it ultimately fell through. The Brazilian also had a £35 million move to former side Everton on transfer deadline day fall through, with the player and club unable to agree on personal terms.

"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 in his pre-match news conference on Monday afternoon.

"I can't go every day to pray for him to stay.

"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.

"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."

Tottenham Hotspur fans, when will your misery end?

Since the start of the 2024/25 season—Spurs’ first season in 17th—they have managed just nine Premier League wins at home. Out of a possible 40 matches, that's a pitiful 22.5% win rate.

Yes, there has been some reason to cheer. Their 1-0 win over Manchester United in the 2025 Europa League final may have been a drab affair, devoid of enjoyment for any neutral, but no fan had dry eyes as they watched their side win their first major honour in 17 years.

But is one trophy worth all of this misery?

Back-to-back 17th-place finishes, their lowest point tally—based on three points for a win—since 1915, and four separate managers, all of whom have had their fair share of disappointment in the dugout.

And now, to add insult to injury, last season’s top scorer Richarlison and manager De Zerbi are engaging in a feud that leaves rival fans gleeful.

It is not the first time a player has used social media to facilitate a move, or to speak out against the club. Aleksander Isak took to Instagram last summer to speak out against Newcastle supposedly blocking a move to Liverpool.

The Swedish star would eventually force his way through to the Merseyside club—for the extremely low fee of £125 million, which was then the British transfer record fee—but his first season at the club was a disappointment, netting just four times across 22 games.

Richarlison’s possible exit leaves the London club in turmoil. They are still looking for their first win of the season and, aside from a 5-1 battering of Championship side Charlton in the Carabao Cup, Spurs are yet to score a goal.

Themselves and newly promoted Coventry remain the only two sides in the league yet to score in the Premier League.

In fact, every club up to step eight in English football has managed a goal in their respective league, aside from Spurs and Coventry.

Despite spending in excess of £300 million, the side sit 17th in the table, almost destined for a third successive year with their throats just above the drop zone.

And whilst the club sinks further into familiar territory, their manager and last season's top scorer are busy engaged in a turf war.

Tottenham have problems far bigger than a sad-faced emoji.