Daniel Levy RESIGNS as Tottenham chairman after nearly 25 years in charge of north London club

Daniel Levy has sensationally quit as chairman of Tottenham^[1] Hotspur – but the club have insisted there are no changes to its ownership.

On Thursday, Spurs announced that the 62-year-old, who had been in post for close to 25 years, had stepped down.

The move has already prompted feverish speculation over the club’s future, given Levy and his family hold a 29.4 per cent stake in owners ENIC and that he has previously claimed to have turned down offers from overseas.

But insiders say the change is aimed at improving Tottenham’s performance on the field and is not linked to a pending bid.

Regardless, officials at other Premier League^[2] sides believe Spurs are ‘ripe’ for a takeover given their location in London, revenue-generating new stadium and elite training facilities. They are also in the Champions League^[3] following their Europa League^[4] triumph and have a respected manager in recently-appointed Thomas Frank^[5].

Sources in Qatar, where a consortium failed in a bid to buy Manchester United^[6], have distanced themselves from a move for the North London club. Any interest, according to those with knowledge of the situation, would be likely to come from a US investment group.

Tottenham have announced the shock departure of Daniel Levy, who has stepped down as chairman after nearly a quarter of a century in charge

The 62-year-old oversaw the club’s transformation into Champions League regulars and delivered their £1billion stadium

Levy departs after a quarter of a century at the helm. Under his tenure, Tottenham have established themselves as one of English football’s big six. They have qualified for Europe in 18 of the last 20 seasons and reached the Champions League final in 2019.

Levy is also viewed as the mastermind of the £1.2bn stadium, which is viewed as one of the best in world football and is the envy of many others in the top flight due to its ability to generate huge non-football income by hosting a series of other events such as concerts and NFL games. His astute running of the club means he leaves with its finances in strong health and any interested parties are likely to be looking at a price of around £4bn.

However, in recent times fans frustrated with a lack of Premier League success and a perceived lack of spending have protested against Levy and chants have been commonplace at matches. While no detail on his salary has been made public, in 2023 Spurs listed their highest-paid director, assumed to be Levy, as receiving £6.6m.

Former Arsenal exec Vinai Venkatesham will now lead the club as CEO, while Peter Charrington steps in as non-executive chairman. Charrington is a director of ENIC, and joined the Spurs board in March as a non-executive director.

‘I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees,’ said Levy. ‘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.’

The club confirmed there will be no changes to the ownership or shareholder structure, with ENIC Group, owned by British businessman Joe Lewis, remaining in control. 

Ange Postecoglou ended the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy by lifting the Europa League in May, but was dismissed just over two weeks later

Levy presided over the redevelopment of White Hart Lane and the building of the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019

A source close to the family told Daily Mail Sport: ‘Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want – more wins more often.

‘This is why you have seen recent changes, new leadership and a fresh approach. In Vinai, Thomas and Peter Charrington, they believe they are backing the right team to deliver on this. This is a new era.’

Levy has often argued these developments secured the club’s long-term future and helped put Tottenham ‘on the global map’.

Yet his relationship with supporters has long been uneasy. Many saw him as a shrewd operator who kept Spurs competitive in the modern game. Others criticised his cautious approach in the transfer market, with failed pursuits of high-profile targets often leaving fans frustrated.

This summer proved another flashpoint, with Tottenham missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and then suffering the humiliation of losing Eberechi Eze to rivals Arsenal despite being close to a deal. 

Those failures reminded fans of earlier disappointments such as Willian’s switch to Chelsea in 2013 and the collapse of a deal for Jack Grealish in 2018. 

Spurs’ frequent managerial changes also shaped Levy’s tenure. He worked with 16 permanent bosses, from Glenn Hoddle to Antonio Conte. 

Ange Postecoglou ended the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy by lifting the Europa League in May, but was dismissed just over two weeks later after a poor league campaign. Thomas Frank, hired from Brentford, is now tasked with building a new era in north London.

Vinai Venkatesham (left) will lead Spurs as CEO, with Thomas Frank in charge of the men’s team, while Peter Charrington steps in as non-executive chairman

Charrington, who now steps up to the board, paid tribute to Levy and set out the club’s direction. 

‘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,’ he said in a club statement. 

‘This is a new era of leadership on and off the pitch. We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the club, led by Vinai and his executive team.’

Levy departs having presided over nearly 25 years of football in north London, working with 16 managers and overseeing the club’s most significant off-field changes in the modern era. 

He was instrumental in delivering the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and training centre, while helping to establish Spurs as regulars in European competition.