Daniel Levy has been removed as Tottenham Hotspur chairman, bringing an end to his 24-year tenure at the club.
A club statement said Levy had “stepped down” but the decision was taken by the club’s majority shareholders, the Lewis family, marking a seismic change in how Tottenham is run.
Levy was told on Thursday that he would be leaving his position, with Peter Charrington, the Lewis family’s appointee, stepping into the new role of non-executive chairman. A source close to the Lewis family heralded a “new era” at Tottenham and pointed to a desire to improve on-pitch performance.
“Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club, and they want what the fans want — more wins, more often,” a source close to the Lewis family told The Athletic. “This is why you have seen recent changes, new leadership and a fresh approach. In Vinai (Venkatesham), Thomas (Frank) and Peter Charrington, they believe they are backing the right team to deliver on this. This is a new era.”
Levy’s departure is the last of a series of dramatic changes behind the scenes at Tottenham that have dominated this summer. At the start of the year the Lewis family instigated a review into the club’s performance, conducted by U.S. firm Gibb River, interviewing staff about how the team could improve. This coincided with Charrington’s appointment to the club board in March. In April Tottenham confirmed the arrival of Venkatesham as the new CEO, with the departure of long-serving executive director Donna-Maria Cullen announced in June. She left Tottenham earlier this week.
There was, of course, also a change of manager too with Thomas Frank replacing Ange Postecoglou in June after Levy sacked the Australian two weeks after winning the Europa League. Chief football officer Scott Munn departed along with Postecoglou.
“This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch,” Charrington said in a statement on the club website. “I do recognise there has been a lot of change in recent months as we put in place new foundations for the future.”
Levy sacked Postecoglou in June, two weeks after winning the Europa League (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Levy joined Tottenham’s board in December 2000 after ENIC purchased a 27 per cent stake in the club from Sir Alan Sugar. Spurs have been completely transformed during his reign.
The 63-year-old’s biggest project during his time with the north London side was the design and creation of their 62,000 seater stadium, which was officially opened in April 2019 and a month later, Spurs reached the final of the Champions League which they lost to Liverpool.
Despite the club routinely challenging in the top half of the table Levy has come under heavy criticism from the fanbase, and last season, multiple protests were held outside of games about the way he has run the club.
Supporters have been frustrated by the wage bill, which is much lower than their biggest rivals, and the constant cycle of head coaches. Frank was the 14th and final permanent manager to work under Levy.
“I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees,” Levy said in a statement on the club’s website. “We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level.
“More than that, we have built 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.
“I wish to thank all the fans that have supported me over the years. It hasn’t always been an easy journey but significant progress has been made. I will continue to support this club passionately.”
Charrington said: “I am very honoured to become non-executive chairman of this extraordinary club and, on behalf of the board, I would like to thank Daniel and his family for their commitment and loyalty to the club over so many years.
“This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch. I do recognise there has been a lot of change in recent months as we put in place new foundations for the future. We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the club, led by Vinai and his executive team.”
What does this mean for Spurs?
This is a seismic development for Tottenham and one which will be greeted by a huge section of the fanbase with cheers.
Levy has played an integral role in helping to develop Spurs into one of the biggest and richest clubs in the world. They have an incredible stadium which is envied by their rivals and generates revenue through music concerts and boxing events.
However, many supporters believe that Levy has not shown enough ambition. Spurs have won two major trophies during his time as chairman — the 2008 League Cup and this year’s Europa League. Spurs have possessed talented squads, especially the one which reached the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino, but there was always a sense that they needed an extra push to reach the next level.
There will be other fans who recognise the hard work Levy put into building Spurs up. Yet he had become a divisive figure and there were lots of chants and protests at games last season criticising him.
Some people would have thought that Levy would never leave Spurs but the timing makes sense. This feels like a new era at the club with the appointments of Venkatesham and Frank while Levy’s trusted ally Cullen has already left this summer.
Levy’s departure will also raise questions about the long-term future of Tottenham’s ownership. When Spurs released their accounts for the 2022-23 season in April 2024, Levy revealed that he had spoken to “prospective investors” about selling a stake in the club.
(Photo: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
