Tottenham will FINE Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso for flying to Argentina without permission amid quarantine row... and Davinson Sanchez can expect punishment too after linking up with Colombia
- Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso could land in hot water with Tottenham
- They jetted off for Argentina duty without permission amid quarantine row
- Officials stormed match vs Brazil amid claims they entered country illegally
- Romero and Lo Celso, along with two other players, were deported from Brazil
- A third Spurs player, Davinson Sanchez, also flew away against the club's wishes
Tottenham duo Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso ignored the club's wishes not to meet up with the Argentina squad and are facing club fines on their return after being released by their national team.
Team-mate Davinson Sanchez is also set to be fined for joining up with the Colombia squad as the fall-out from the Premier League's attempt to restrict travel to red-list zones intensified on Monday.
Romero, who arrived from Atalanta earlier this summer for £42.5million, and Lo Celso were two of four Premier League stars caught in the World Cup qualifying Covid controversy between Argentina and Brazil.
![Giovani Lo Celso (L) and Cristian Romero are also set to miss out after flying to Argentina](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/11/47560125-0-image-a-41_1630923043401.jpg)
Tottenham duo Giovani Lo Celso (L) and Cristian Romero both face fines for flying to Argentina
![The Tottenham pair were part of a group of four England-based players, also including Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez (right) and Emiliano Buendia (left), who all left the UK despite the Premier League trying to stop stars from playing international football in red-list countries](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/05/21/47541503-9960541-image-m-35_1630874511417.jpg)
The Tottenham pair were part of a group of four England-based players, also including Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez (right) and Emiliano Buendia (left), who all left the UK despite the Premier League trying to stop stars from playing international football in red-list countries
While Aston Villa allowed Argentine duo Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia to play in the fixture that was dramatically abandoned on Sunday night, Sportsmail understands Spurs did not give the go-ahead for Romero and Lo Celso to travel.
Premier League clubs unanimously agreed last month not to release players for international games played in Covid-19 red-list countries due to FIFA's refusal to extend their temporary release exemption for players who must quarantine on their return from international duty.
Tottenham stuck to the terms of that agreement but it was ignored by Romero and Lo Celso - and the pair will have to face the consequences, with hefty fines expected.
The Argentine FA (AFA) announced on Sunday night that the two players would fly to Croatia for a 10-day quarantine before flying back to the UK after being released from the squad. They are only expected to miss Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.
![Spurs are said to be unhappy that Romero and Lo Celso left against their wishes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/05/21/47540905-9960541-image-a-30_1630872286213.jpg)
![Lo Celso and Romero will face a spell away from the first team while they quarantine](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/09/47540915-9961787-Giovani_Lo_Celso-a-18_1630916935823.jpg)
![Davinson Sanchez can also expect repercussions for leaving to travel with Colombia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47561941-9962195-image-a-11_1630926853544.jpg)
Davinson Sanchez can also expect repercussions for leaving to travel with Colombia
Sanchez, who will join his team-mates in Croatia, can also expect club punishment after meeting up with Colombia. He started the 1-1 draw in Paraguay - which is on the UK's red list.
Tottenham will avoid punishment from the Premier League for appearing to flout the agreement because they have not officially broken any rules.
Despite the chaos, the Premier League are likely to push for another blanket agreement not to allow players to travel to red-list countries in the October international break.
Spurs - and other Premier League clubs - understand the attraction for players of representing their countries and the travel restrictions have posed a huge dilemma.
![Health authorities dramatically stormed the pitch in Brazil to detain the four Argentina players](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/11/47540485-9961787-Health_authorities_stormed_the_pitch_in_Brazil_Argentina_to_deta-a-7_1630922746883.jpg)
Health authorities dramatically stormed the pitch in Brazil to detain the four Argentina players
In Brazil, meanwhile, Anvisa, the national health regulatory agency, explained their officers had interrupted the World Cup qualifier because Argentina's four Premier League players had broken Covid rules by falsifying entry documents on Friday.
Brazilian media outlet Globo revealed that Fernando Ariel Batista of the AFA filled in the forms and failed to declare the players had been in the UK in the previous two weeks, thus avoiding a 14-day quarantine.
On Saturday, once the offence was confirmed, Anvisa claimed they asked the Brazilian FA (CBF) to tell the AFA and South American football's governing body, CONMEBOL, to ensure the four players stayed in their hotel rooms and did not train on Saturday.
Anvisa and government officials then held a meeting with the football authorities and asked the AFA to file an exemption request for the four players to Brazil's ministry of health.
![Argentina's squad flew back to Buenos Aires on Sunday night after their World Cup qualifier against Brazil in Sao Paulo was abandoned due to the intervention by the health authorities](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/08/47556347-9961787-image-a-11_1630915134522.jpg)
Argentina's squad flew back to Buenos Aires on Sunday night after their World Cup qualifier against Brazil in Sao Paulo was abandoned due to the intervention by the health authorities
No such request was lodged so, on Sunday, health agents descended on Argentina's hotel, but the team had already left for the stadium. By the time they arrived, the game was starting, hence the farcical scenes.
The AFA insist they acted with the consent of CONMEBOL, who authorised the game to kick off, and believe the referee's report will cite the health officials for disrupting the game and not the Argentinians for leaving the pitch. Argentina locked themselves in their dressing room for three hours before leaving the stadium.
They gave statements to the Brazilian authorities at the airport before boarding a flight to Buenos Aires on Sunday night.
FIFA said they 'regret the scenes preceding the suspension of the match'. Reports from officials will be analysed by FIFA's disciplinary bodies.
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