Richarlison has publicly supported criticism of Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi, sharing a pointed social media post as his exile from the first team continues. The 29-year-old forward endorsed comments from his former Everton coach Duncan Ferguson, who questioned the reasons for his omission.

Richarlison shared a quote from Ferguson on his Instagram story. "You don’t leave a player like that out unless there’s been a real murder: he’s chinned him or there’s been a proper scrap on the training ground," Ferguson said. Richarlison added his own comment: "Thanks Duncan Ferguson, you are right."

De Zerbi's response

When asked about the situation ahead of Saturday's home game against Coventry City, De Zerbi distanced himself from the decision. "It's not my problem anymore," he said. "You have to ask Vinai or Johan. It's not my problem." He added that he had "not decided anything in this situation" and that his focus was solely on the upcoming match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Richarlison has not featured for the senior side since a 3-0 defeat to Brentford in August. He made his first competitive appearance since then on Tuesday, playing for Tottenham's Under-21s in their EFL Trophy match against Cheltenham Town. He scored the equaliser in a 2-2 draw and converted his penalty in the shoot-out, which Spurs lost 7-6. After the game, he posted online: "Happy to do what I love most in life. I was missing it!"

Cheltenham manager Steve Cotterill praised the Brazil international's attitude. "I thought his attitude tonight was immaculate," Cotterill said. "He’s used to playing in front of 60,000 every week, his attitude tonight was absolutely first class."

The public disagreement unfolds with Tottenham struggling at the foot of the Premier League table. The club sits 20th with just three points from six matches, having scored only three goals all season. Their recent form shows a single point from the last 15 available, with the team conceding 12 goals in that five-game winless run.

Richarlison's future remains uncertain. A summer move to Vasco da Gama collapsed due to Tottenham hitting their international loan limit, while a potential switch to Trabzonspor fell through over registration issues. With his contract expiring in June 2027, the January window represents the club's final opportunity to recoup a fee for the player. For now, De Zerbi has expressed no regret over omitting him from the Premier League squad, and Richarlison is set to continue with the U21s until the winter. The team's immediate focus, however, is on trying to secure a first league win of the season against Coventry in their next fixture.

Read the full report at Daily Mail Sport