Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur’s former executive chairman, says he did not envisage the club being in a relegation battle “in a million years”.
Levy, who was speaking on Wednesday after being awarded a CBE for services to charity and the community in Tottenham, was sacked by Spurs’ majority owners, the Lewis family, in September after nearly a quarter of a century running the club.
Spurs began the campaign with Thomas Frank as head coach and Champions League football, but they are currently on their third permanent manager of the season in Roberto De Zerbi and fighting to avoid relegation with two league games to play.
Asked by The Press Association if he saw any signs that the club, which finished 17th in the top flight last season, would end up in a relegation battle, Levy said: “Never, no, not in a million years.”
Levy added that “relegation was not something we ever considered” when he was overseeing the construction of the club’s £1.2billion stadium which opened in 2019.
In a separate interview with Sky Sports, Levy said: “All I’m focused on is making sure Tottenham stay in the Premier League.
“I could never have envisaged this at the beginning of the season.
“Obviously (I’m) incredibly disappointed but let’s look forward and very much hope that next season we’re still in the Premier League. I’m feeling the pain but optimistic that we’ll get through it.
“It’s been very, very difficult but Spurs is in my blood and I’m hopeful that we’ll be OK in the end.”
Asked for his highlights from his time at Spurs, Levy said: “Getting in the (2019) Champions League final, opening the stadium, achieving Europe a number of times, having some great players, making a contribution to the local community, impacting people’s lives. There isn’t one item, it’s lots of things.”
He added the club would be “forever grateful” to former head coach Ange Postecoglou for leading Spurs to last season’s Europa League title, one of two trophies they won under Levy’s chairmanship along with the 2008 League Cup.