Richarlison's Outrage 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 – and he did it with a single word.

The Brazil forward posted a screenshot of a social media graphic highlighting his omission and added just one caption: “Why?” followed by a tearful, sad-faced emoji. No explanation, no context. Just a pointed question aimed straight at Roberto De Zerbi’s decision.

It lands at a delicate moment in his Spurs career. Richarlison’s future in north London was already hanging in the balance after a proposed move to Vasco da Gama collapsed last week. The Premier League club were understood to have agreed a fee with the Brazilian side for the 29-year-old, but the deal died before the Brazilian transfer window shut on Friday because personal terms were not finalised.

So he stayed. But he did not play.

De Zerbi, speaking on Monday ahead of the Liverpool tie, made it clear the situation has been simmering for some time.

“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.”

The Italian stressed he had tried to tie Richarlison down and put the decision in the forward’s hands.

“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 was as far as De Zerbi was willing to go publicly. He hinted at deeper issues but refused to pull back the curtain.

“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 manager who says he tried to keep him. A player who wanted out. A transfer that broke down at the last moment. And now a high-profile omission for a major cup tie, followed by a pointed, public question from the player himself.

Tottenham, Liverpool, the Carabao Cup – that’s the stage. But the real drama might be playing out off it, between a frustrated Brazil striker and a club that has to decide how this story ends.