Daniel Levy departure: What does it mean for Tottenham?

Daniel Levy’s exit from Tottenham is understood to have been orchestrated by a desire from the club’s owners to bring about a change in fortunes on the field.

Here the PA news agency looks at what has happened, and what it might mean.

What has happened?

At 5.40pm on Thursday, Tottenham issued a statement confirming Levy was stepping down as executive chairman. He first became involved as chairman in 2001 when the ENIC Group bought a controlling stake in the club from Lord Sugar.

Why has he left?

Sources close to the Lewis family trust, which controls ownership of the club, said Levy had been invited to step down. His exit follows the appointment of Vinai Venkatesham as chief executive and Peter Charrington joining the board, with the latter now becoming non-executive chairman after Levy’s departure.

The Lewis family trust commissioned a review by US firm the Gibb River Group, which reinforced their thinking that change was needed at the top. A source close to the Lewis family said: “Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want – more wins more often.

“In Vinai, (head coach) Thomas (Frank) and Peter Charrington, they believe they are backing the right team to deliver on this. This is a new era.”

What has Levy’s impact been?

Levy built a reputation as one of the toughest negotiators in football, and has overseen Spurs’ transformation into a company valued in the billions of pounds and in possession of a world-class stadium and training facility.

He has however long been a target of frustration from fans’ groups critical of what they perceive as a lack of investment in players and a failure to engage.

Financial services firm Deloitte placed their wages-to-turnover ratio at 43 per cent for the 2023-24 season – the joint-lowest in the Premier League. UEFA rules consider up to 70 per cent as an acceptable ratio.

What does this mean for Spurs’ future?

The Lewis family clearly hope the changes they have orchestrated will improve on-field results as well as continuing the off-field success story.

There has inevitably been speculation that Levy’s exit is the precursor to efforts to sell the club, but sources close to the Lewis family said on Friday they remain committed to the club for the long term, and that a sale has not been contemplated. They do, however, remain open to some external investment.

The club’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, London location, membership of one of the world’s most commercially successful competitions and healthy wage-to-turnover ratio all combine to make them an attractive, albeit expensive, proposition for an investment group with deep pockets.

What have fans said?

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust wished Levy well but said it provided the new leadership the ideal opportunity to deepen fan engagement.

A statement read: “Daniel’s legacy is self-evidently the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely regarded as one of the finest football stadia in the world, as well as related infrastructure such as the training ground. And yet, the laser focus on cost and value for money necessary for completing the stadium didn’t serve the club so well on the pitch.

“The failure to kick on under Mauricio Pochettino and after the opening of (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) was a missed opportunity and seemed to reflect an approach, particularly in the transfer market, that was too cautious and too focused on extracting monetary value rather than addressing weaknesses that were obvious to all.”

Seb Jenkins, the chief editor of Spurs-web.com, said: “It’s fair to say that Daniel Levy’s exit has shocked and thrilled most of the Tottenham fanbase in equal measure.

“Nothing against him personally, but hopefully Levy’s exit will trigger a new era for Spurs where we show a lot more on-field ambition.”