What Will Be Levy's Legacy As His Spurs Era Ends?

Tottenham Hotspur's executive president Daniel Levy - who has "stepped down" aft almost 25 years - will ever beryllium regarded arsenic 1 of nan astir contentious figures successful their history.

He was nan driving unit down nan world-class infrastructure nan nine now boasts, from nan magnificent caller £1bn stadium that stands comparison pinch immoderate successful nan sport, to nan spectacular training office astatine Hotspur Way successful Enfield.

And yet, alternatively of being lauded for these towering achievements, Levy's clip astatine nan apical ever beryllium overshadowed for galore fans by nan deficiency of occurrence associated pinch his reign.

While he still retains a number ownership but will not beryllium progressive successful nan day-to-day moving of nan club, nan news of Levy's exit will beryllium greeted pinch undisguised delight by a ample percent of nan Spurs fanbase.

When nan communicative of nan 63-year-old's clip successful nan boardroom is told and his bequest takes shape, it will beryllium 1 of financial and structural success, but underachievement connected it.

Levy will besides beryllium everlastingly associated pinch instability, including a revolving doorway of 12 sacked managers arsenic Spurs reached 16 semi-finals and 7 finals, not including nan caller Uefa Super Cup.

And it is nan deficiency of silverware that will ever formed a acheronian unreality complete his chairmanship.

History will beryllium benignant erstwhile his achievements disconnected nan section are reflected upon - but location tin beryllium nary escaping nan failures connected it.

Spurs competed successful Europe connected a regular ground and had an almost imperishable beingness successful nan apical half of nan Premier League, but meaningful occurrence escaped them and Levy.

In his clip astatine nan helm, Spurs won only nan League Cup nether Juande Ramos successful 2008, past nan Europa League past season, pinch Levy past courting disapproval aft their first glory successful 17 years by sacking head Ange Postecoglou 16 days aft nan triumph against Manchester United successful Bilbao.

Spurs came closest to nan biggest prize of each successful 2019, reaching nan Champions League final, only to suffer 2-0 to Liverpool successful Madrid.

But, moreover then, what promised to beryllium nan commencement of a caller aureate era ended successful acrimony.

The aftermath of that conclusion turned sour arsenic hugely celebrated head Mauricio Pochettino grounded to get nan backing he believed he deserved - nan fracture pinch his president starring to his sacking six months later.

It provided substance for Levy's critics, who felt his determination to tally Spurs connected a patient financial footing was excessively often translated into a deficiency of ambition erstwhile group against those clubs enjoying occurrence connected a regular basis.

His business acumen was ne'er successful doubt, pinch shot finance master Kieran Maguire describing nan Londoners arsenic nan "most profitable nine successful Premier League history" because of nan money their caller stadium generates, a historically little costs building and a "degree of caution" connected transportation spending.

This was ne'er transformed into tangible occurrence measured by silverware, pinch Levy progressively a target for supporters' anger passim his tenure.

It manifested itself pinch regular protests extracurricular games, pinch 1 salient banner delivering a motion to legendary erstwhile skipper Danny Blanchflower's celebrated phrase.

It publication "Our crippled is astir glory, Levy's crippled is astir greed", while different was "24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy - clip for change".

Among nan anti-Levy chants that echoed regularly astir nan immense Tottenham Hotspur stadium, a celebrated 1 was, "I don't attraction astir Levy, he doesn't attraction astir me, each I attraction astir is Kulusevski".

Thomas Frank became nan 14th imperishable head to activity nether Levy erstwhile he succeeded Postecoglou.

In his quest for success, Levy has attracted proven, high-class Premier League winners specified arsenic Jose Mourinho - bizarrely sacked days earlier nan 2021 Carabao Cup last against Manchester City - and Antonio Conte.

There was besides nan botched assignment of Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked successful November 2021 aft only 4 months successful charge.

For each nan twists and turns, nan only consistency was an expertise to travel up short until nan Europa League was won.

Levy's estimation arsenic a hard-headed businessman - pinch erstwhile Manchester United head Sir Alex Ferguson famously describing him arsenic "more achy to woody pinch than a hep replacement" - disguised a rarely-seen softer side.

Those adjacent to him insisted Levy was "hurt" by protests against him, a workaholic president whose only liking was to tally Spurs successful a measurement that would bring results disconnected nan pitch, that nan failures caused him arsenic overmuch symptom arsenic immoderate supporter, and sources challenging nan thought he did not attraction astir Spurs winning trophies arsenic "nonsense".

This trim nary crystal pinch supporters' group Change for Tottenham (CFT), who staged beryllium down protests, aliases nan Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST), who were regular critics of him.

Change has been successful nan upwind astatine Spurs successful caller months, starring to speculation astir early ownership, but Levy's departure - from nan domiciled he has held since 2001 - was a seismic moment.

Vinai Venkatesham, antecedently CEO astatine Arsenal, was appointed arsenic caller main executive of Spurs successful April, while Peter Charrington becomes non-executive chairman, a caller role.

Charrington, a head of Tottenham's owners, nan Enic Group, was appointed to nan club's committee successful March arsenic a non-executive director.

Many Spurs fans will not mourn nan latest developments but location are 2 sides to nan Levy story.

Spurs are a financial success, having been weighted astatine £2.6bn by Forbes earlier this twelvemonth - it was £80m erstwhile he took power of shot affairs successful 2001.

Former head David Pleat told BBC Radio Five Live: "To execute occurrence successful nan modern crippled without mega money is very difficult and to do what Tottenham person done successful nan past 2 decades is rather incredible.

"The stadium is magnificent, cipher tin rival nan training ground, and nan nine is connected a bully footing and he has ever been sensible.

"Daniel Levy is nary much reliable than immoderate different president who protects his nine and looks aft his club's finances. As acold arsenic being a custodian of nan nine I don't deliberation location is simply a much astute chairman. I would opportunity he has looked aft nan nine well."

And yet Levy's painstaking negotiating style - ruthless and wished to get nan champion woody - has been a changeless communicative utilized against him during his clip arsenic chairman.

He was criticised precocious erstwhile Arsenal stole England guardant Eberechi Eze distant successful a melodramatic transportation coup.

Spurs had been progressive successful lengthy negotiations pinch Crystal Palace, but near nan doorway ajar capable for their bitter northbound London rivals to swoop to clinch a £60m woody conscionable hours aft Levy had yet agreed nan good item of nan move.

The ruthless separator he possessed was witnessed erstwhile all-time grounds goalscorer Harry Kane, who struck 280 times successful 435 appearances, thought he had "a gentleman's agreement" pinch Levy that he could time off nan nine successful 2021 if they vanished extracurricular nan apical four.

Levy swept that belief aside, forcing a disaffected Kane to stay. Spurs yet sold him to Bayern Munich for an first £86.4m successful August 2023, a woody he regarded arsenic financially sensible for nan 30-year-old England striker.

Those who activity pinch Levy person described him arsenic "shy, quiet and difficult working", not nan acold characteristic of nationalist perception, though limelight and nationalist speaking has ne'er sat easy pinch him.

And sources acquainted pinch Levy felt immoderate of his problems came astir because "he did not situation himself pinch nan champion people" and his discomfort pinch nationalist speaking meant his messages did not ever translate, arsenic 1 admitted: "One question and reply aliases being visible erstwhile a twelvemonth is not a lot."

Levy besides invited wide disapproval erstwhile he utilized nan Government's furlough strategy during nan Covid pandemic, past erstwhile he phased retired concession tickets for seniors.

The Europa League triumph successful May saw a uncommon nationalist sighting of nan backstage Levy astatine nan post-match triumph party.

Wearing a Spurs shirt, he grabbed a microphone, punched nan aerial and shouted: "We're champions. This has been a very agelong clip coming. We've made history and I want to convey Ange, each nan coaching staff, each nan players. You guys person gone down successful history.

"Hopefully it is going to get america connected nan roadworthy to wherever we perfectly merit to be, which is astatine nan very top."

Postecoglou's adjacent acknowledgment came erstwhile he was sacked.

And now Levy has stepped distant from that roadworthy to nan top, a president who achieved overmuch successful truthful galore ways, but whose activity style often proved toxic for supporters and ne'er delivered nan occurrence they demanded.