Last month Tottenham Hotspur announced that Daniel Levy had “stepped down” from his role as Executive Chairman after nearly 25 years.
In most cases such a move would attract little attention, but Levy had become the face of Spurs, as he was very clearly the main man, overseeing every detail of the club’s operations, including the development of an impressive new stadium.
His uncompromising transfer negotiations were infamous in the football world, as he ran the club as if he was spending his own money, which impressed financial analysts, but left many fans frustrated at the seeming lack of ambition.
In fairness, Levy had laid out his manifesto when he was appointed back in 2001, when he warned that there had to be a balance between shareholders “who want profit” and fans “who want success on the pitch”, adding, “Sometimes, the two do not go together.”
