Pedro Porro has come out swinging after Tottenham’s grim 2 1 defeat to Fulham, aiming his frustration not at a team mate but at a section of Spurs supporters he believes crossed the line.
The Spanish full back was hammered on social media for snapping at 19 year old Lucas Bergvall at the final whistle. While the young midfielder applauded the home crowd, Porro stormed straight down the tunnel and then appeared to drag Bergvall away from the supporters. Many fans saw it as a senior pro bullying a youngster. Porro insists the truth is very different.
In a blunt Instagram message Porro claimed the spark for his anger came from fans repeatedly booing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after his mistake for Fulham’s second goal. The Italian lost the ball cheaply and Harry Wilson punished him within seconds, sending Spurs two goals down after only six minutes following Kenny Tete’s opener.
Porro wrote that football is full of emotion and errors happen but he refused to accept what he called disrespect from the stands towards his team mate. He explained that the jeers aimed at Vicario left him boiling and that his reaction at the end was driven by that fury not by any issue with Bergvall. He finished by telling what he called the true Spurs fans that he loves them and by reminding everyone that the club has dragged itself out of far worse situations in the past six months.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank also slammed the boo boys branding the treatment of Vicario completely unacceptable and saying anyone who behaves like that cannot call themselves a real Tottenham supporter.
The atmosphere inside the stadium grew toxic as Spurs fell to a fourth home league defeat of the season a record better only than Wolves. Mohammed Kudus pulled one back in the second half but Fulham had already done the damage and Tottenham never fully recovered from that miserable opening spell.
Porro’s behaviour after the whistle only poured more petrol on the fire. Spurs fans on social media tore into him with some calling his conduct disgusting and others branding him a coward for shouting at Bergvall while refusing to acknowledge the crowd. One supporter pointed out that Bergvall is a teenager who shows more graft than some senior players and still had the class to thank the fans. Another claimed Porro’s actions showed a worrying disconnect between the players and the supporters.
The backlash kept coming with several fans saying Porro needs a reality check after what many called an atrocious performance. Whether the full back’s message cools the anger remains to be seen but Spurs suddenly find themselves battling unrest both on the pitch and off it.