The Daniel Levy era of Tottenham Hotspur is over.
It was confirmed Thursday that the 63-year-old will resign as executive chairman after 25 years in charge.
Arrived in March 2001, Levy was the longest serving chairman in Premier League history and a divisive figure during his tenure.
His reputation, a regular subject of supporter protests, was divided into financial prudence and failure to convert infrastructure into silverware.
Levy’s final months brought him something as low as the rare highs. The Spurs won the Europa League in May, waiting for the 17-year trophy.
However, the victory was supported by a disastrous league campaign that finished 17th in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, he remembers delivering the £1 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a multi-purpose venue that changed the club’s commercial revenues.
The stadium, which hosts NFL games, concerts and boxing events, has become a global landmark.
But on the pitch, Levi’s administrative decisions often defined more Spurs’ wealth than infrastructure could ever allow.
With signings from marquees like Mohamed Kudus and Xavi Simons, spending this summer hinted at ambition, but the Spurs missed Ebeki Eze to rival Arsenal.
Vinai Venkatesham, who was appointed chief executive in April, will need to take the reins and implement a new vision while searching for Levy’s alternatives is underway.
Many managers of Ange and Levy’s Spurs
Few chairs have collected, hired and fired many well-known managers.
Ange Postecoglou, sometimes worshipped by supporters for his bold offensive football, was the latest casualty.
He was fired just weeks after the release of the Europa League, and his firing highlights Levy’s reputation for ruthless decision-making among the 22 top freytros in 2024/25.
Thomas Frank then arrived from Brentford to stabilize the ship. Postecoglou’s departure was far from Levy’s only famous axis.
Jose Mourinho was fired a week before the Spurs faced Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final.
Ryan Mason intervened as the caretaker’s manager, but the Spurs ultimately lost the final.
In Antonio Conte’s short but flammable tenure, he led Champions League qualifications in 2021/22, but openly questioned the mentality of his players.
Levi also experimented with Nuno Espirito Santo. This was also known to fade away within a few months, and to look at famous figures like Harry Redknap and Tim Sherwood in the past.
However, one name defined Levi’s Spurs more than any other Spurs, both in success and the bitterness of his departure.
The looting Pockettino was Levy’s biggest mistel
Mauricio Pockettino’s era in northern London was transformative.
He was appointed Spurs’ 10th manager in May 2014 in just 12 years, bringing stability, style and belief.
For over five years, he has developed talents like Harry Kane and Dere Ally, building fearless teams around highly oppressive and quick transitions, bringing closer to glory than in decades.
Pinnacle came in 2019 when the Spurs reached the Champions League final.
Their run included an unforgettable semi-final comeback against the Ajax, covered by Lucas Moura’s last-minute hat-trick strike.
They fell 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid, but that was a decisive achievement.
In the league, Pockettino’s team came in second place in 2016/17 with 86 points. The best finish since 1963 – Champions Chelsea are just 7 points behind.
Still, just months after that Champions League final, Levy made his most infamous call. Pockettino was fired after the Spurs struggled at the start of the 2019/20 season.
Pochettino – Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
Match | 499 |
I’ll win | 240 |
draw | 113 |
loss | 146 |
point | 833 |
Source: Transfer Market | |
It was an even more cruel decision than the one that ended the reign of the Post-Kogul. As journalist Alex Kebble described him, Pockettino was a “genius” and “a very rare example of a manager being too good for the club.”
Argentina later admitted that he was shocked by Levy’s departure this week, reflecting their “very good” relationship with nostalgia.
After leaving the Spurs, he managed PSG and Chelsea before taking on the US men’s national team.
His tactical philosophy remains consistent. 4-2-3-1 is pushed against him, playing from behind, and suffocating his enemies with his merciless energy.
Pockettino gave the Spurs the identity that carried them to the edge of greatness. Levy’s decision that their greatest modern achievements plundered him has left scars that will likely remain to this day.
It’s unclear where the Spurs will go from here, but they definitely have a commercial foundation to become completely new.
