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WHEN THE LEVY BREAKS
During Tottenham matches in recent and not-so-recent years, the name of Dr Tottenham was often on fans’ lips. Rarely in complimentary terms. “I don’t care about [Dr Tottenham], he don’t care about me, all I care about is [Dejan] Kulusevski,” was one such song. After Thursday’s yellow-ticker trembler, all those fans need worry about is when Kulusevki’s knee-knack allows him to return to Spurs’ teams. Did Levy jump or was he pushed? The suggestion from Big Website is the latter, the executive-chairman, Levy’s job title, shunted for a fresh suit structure. Instead of Levy as an all-seeing eye with hands pulling tight the strings on the purse, two suits will divide duties. Peter Charrington as nonexecutive chair arrives, Vinai Venkatesham, named as chief exec in April, will grow further in influence. The Lewis family who majority-own Tottenham are, it is understood by proper journalists, looking for outside investment.
The Lewis Family Trust owns 70.12% of Enic, the company that holds 86.91% of the shares in Spurs. Levy and members of his family own the other 29.88% of Enic, a wrinkle that may need to be Botox-ed. In his farewell statement, Levy said: “I will continue to support this club passionately.” Though perhaps not among those Spurs fans who didn’t care for him for so many years. Thus, time to consider the Levy legacy. Widely, his tenure is divided into opposing views. On the credit side: Levy’s canny business development, including his personal management of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium project, opened in 2019, replacing the beloved but tired White Hart Lane, was a success. Spurs’s home is the envy of much of European football.
Then there’s Levy’s farewell claim that he and his executive team “built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level”. That Tottenham are in Bigger Cup this season, having won Bigger Vase last year is true, and Levy did somehow manage to get Spurs included in the nasty Super League breakaway in 2021 but two trophies this century, the other coming in 2008, diminishes any conceit of being a heavyweight, particularly when Tottenham usually competed on a welterweight budget.
Some greatest hits: courting Rivaldo in 2002; sacking Jacques Santini after 13 games; sacking Martin Jol halfway through a Euro Vase game in 2007; sacking Harry Redknapp despite finishing fourth because Chelsea won Big Cup in 2012; appointing AVB; getting to Big Cup final in 2019 before not buying new players for Mauricio Pochettino then sacking him that November; sacking José Mourinho the week of the 2021 Milk Cup final; sacking Antonio Conte after he described Tottenham’s story as “20 years there is this owner and they never won something”; sacking Big Ange despite winning Bigger Vase, mate.
High points: Wembley 2008, 4-4 at the Emirates, David Bentley soaking ‘arry’s suit, Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, Ajax Big Cup semi drama, Bilbao 2025. And that week in 2019 when all of known humanity was discussing the new stadium filling its pint glasses from the bottom. Farewell, Daniel.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
The WSL is back! Whet your appetite for the campaign with Tom Garry’s 2025-26 preview, read our in-depth guides to all 12 sides, then join Rob Smyth for the season-opening Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City (7.30pm BST kick-off). And Barry Glendenning brings you all the action from the men’s World Cup qualifiers, including Denmark 1-1 Scotland and Alexander Isak’s 20-minute cameo for Sweden.
QUOTE OF THE DAY I
I like the thrill and the pressure. All I’m focused on is making sure that I do my best for you” – England and Bayern Munich midfielder Georgia Stanway on … her fledgling career as a tattoo artist in this wide-ranging interview with Donald McRae. The Frauen Bundesliga campaign begins on Saturday.
Georgia Stanway: midfield maestro and ink impresario. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
QUOTE OF THE DAY II
It does affect the rhythm. If we want tempo in the game and we cannot find the ball boy, the ball girl or the ball itself, then of course the tempo drops. There must be training. I am serious. It is a problem, because we cannot waste half a minute here and there” – Norway head coach Stale Solbakken solves the mystery of why a hugely talented side have so far failed to qualify for a tournament under his watch: the ball boys and girls have not been pacy enough.
“Actually West Ham actually have 12 supporters groups, not 11 (Thursday’s FD letters). Members of this additional group range from those with a casual interest in the team to others (like me) who’ve followed them for over 50 years through the good times (yes, there have been a few) and bad (plenty). Our common denominator is that we haven’t joined any of the formal supporters groups, but like every other club this is the biggest, most diverse collection of fans, we just don’t have a name or organisational structure. Not sure what this says about us or the supporters groups. Over to Noble Francis …” – Martyn Shapter.
Daniel Leavy” – James Vortkamp-Tong.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Martyn Shapter. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here.
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