Levy exits role as Tottenham executive chairman

Daniel Levy’s near 25-year reign as executive chairman of Tottenham is over.

Spurs’ official announcement stated that he had “stepped down,” but BBC Sport is aware that Levy had already done so.

According to reliable sources, the owners agreed for him to resign because they believed that a change would improve sporting success.

Levy was appointed in March 2001 and leaves after the club won the Europa League in May to end a 17-year wait for a trophy.

The 63-year-old was the longest-serving chairman of the Premier League and, prior to that, the chairman of the club. Spurs fans regularly protested against him, especially last season, and he earned an estimated £50 million plus during that time.

Levy will depart without notice, with a deliberate choice to follow up his departure after the summer transfer window.

“I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees”, said Levy, who had a reputation in football for being a shrewd operator and tough negotiator.

“We have transformed this organization into a top-notch heavyweight competition organization.” We have also established a community.

” I was lucky enough to work with some of the greatest people in this sport, from the team at Lilywhite House and Hotspur Way to all the players and managers over the years.

Tottenham won the European Cup last year in a difficult Premier League campaign, when the team finished 17th under Thomas Frank, who was fired over the summer.

Last season, there were numerous protests directed at Levy, with prominent banners displaying the phrases “Our game is about glory, Levy’s game is about greed” and “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – time for change.”

There were also regular chants of “Levy out” during the campaign.

Levy oversaw the transition from White Hart Lane to the £1 billion, state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which the team’s new home in 2019.

Spurs also reached the Champions League final in 2019 under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, but they were unsuccessful following a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has described Tottenham as the “most profitable club in Premier League history” because of the money their new stadium generates, a historically lower wage structure and a “degree of caution” on transfer spending.

According to FootballTransfers.com, Spurs have signed attacking midfielders Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons for about £181 million this summer.

In recent months, Tottenham have made significant appointments. Before Frank’s arrival, the club named Vinai Venkatesham as their new chief executive in April.

Following Levy’s departure, Peter Charrington assumes a new position as non-executive chairman.

Charrington serves as the director of Tottenham’s owners Enic, a subsidiary of the Tavistock Group, which owns the Lewis family in turn. He was appointed to the Spurs board in March as a non-executive director.

Levy and his family are interested in Enic.

The club stated in a statement that Levy’s departure had changed over the course of the past 25 years.

” It has played in European competitions in the last 18 of 20 seasons, becoming one of the world’s most recognised football clubs, consistently investing in its academy, players and facilities, including a new, world-class stadium and state-of-the-art training centre.

“The club has also engaged in top-level competition frequently, recording numerous fantastic on-field victories, most recently the Europa League cup win.”

Tottenham claimed that the shareholder or ownership structure would remain unchanged.

Charrington thanked Levy for his service and added: “This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch. I appreciate the significant changes that have occurred as we have laid new foundations for the future.

We are now fully focused on empowering our talented club members under Vinai and his executive team, and we are fully focused on stability.

The Lewis family believes that success on the pitch hasn’t been consistent enough during Levy’s time in charge, according to BBC Sport.

Spurs have won two trophies during his 25 years at Spurs, the first being the League Cup in 2008.

The Lewis family is aware of some of the fanatical outcry that has recently taken control of the club, with a large portion of it coming from Levy.

Joe Lewis, 88, is thought to have played a minor role in Levy’s decision to resign from his position.

It is understood that younger generations of the family – Vivienne and Charlie, who are Joe’s children – have been key in making the decision.

In recent months, Vivienne has been particularly visible at Spurs. Nick Beucher, Joe Lewis’s grandson-in-law, has also grown more involved.

BBC Sport understands all the hierarchical changes over the past few months have led to today’s announcement.

According to what it is understood, the executive chairman’s position will be axed in order to modernize the board’s structure.

The Lewis family has been instrumental in those changes, including the Levy decision.

Levy will remain a shareholder of Enic but will cease to have any direct involvement with the club.

Enic’s stock structure will remain the same.

Early this year, The Lewis’ and other well-placed sources reported to BBC Sport that the Tavistock Group had raised a number of issues.

The financial operation of the club was among the areas reviewed.

Additionally, it is understood that the club’s owners invested heavily in the last few months, which has helped Spurs gain a competitive advantage.

Paul Robinson, a former Tottenham goalkeeper, on BBC Radio 5 Live:

Fans will have varying opinions of Daniel. He’s been the front of Enic for a number of years and has been responsible for how the money has been spent.

Although he has received some criticism, I believe that what he has accomplished has evolved as a result of how you view business.

The investment being used wisely on the pitch will always be the critic he will always be facing.

It’s a really strange time. I’m not sure why they’ve chosen to enter a new year’s schedule just a few games in, but the future holds some interesting possibilities.

Everyone will consider the stadium, the training facility, and the underachievement on the pitch as a result of Daniel’s legacy. There will be mixed emotions, but he can certainly hold his head up high on the business front.

Hindsight is a great thing, and we can all have our opinions from distance, but when you look at what he’s done, you can tell genuinely that he’s always had the club’s best interests at heart.

We contacted you to ask your thoughts on Daniel Levy’s resignation as the executive chairman of Tottenham.

Here are some of your comments:

Alex has transformed a team from perpetual relegation struggles to almost permanent European qualification, created a fantastic new stadium, enthralled numerous top managers, and produced many talented players. The trophy collection could almost have been much better given that we nearly won the league and reached the semis and finals. But I think that ultimately Daniel Levy will be seen as the great moderniser of the club, and will hopefully get the respect he is due. A well-run club that most people in the football industry envy. He can be accomplished when retired.

Woodilson: Initially feel happy. This has been a long-term wish for many Spurs fans. I’m not entirely sure where this leaves us because there isn’t any ownership change. Fascinated to know if this was planned or whether this is Levy actually realising he made mistakes this summer.

Dan: I must admit that I’ve been a vocal “Levy Out” supporter in recent years because of the poor footballing choices, but I can’t deny that the club has really grown since the time of Alan Sugar. The current stadium is incredible and the most obvious standout project under Levy’s leadership, despite the fact that I adored the former White Hart Lane. I wish him well for the future! Daniel, I appreciate it!