Daniel Levy has stepped down from his role as Tottenham's executive chairman, and the 63-year-old had built up a reputation for his hard-nosed negotiating, something Sir Alex Ferguson was all too familiar with
Daniel Levy has stepped down as Tottenham's executive chairman after almost 25 years at the club. And an admission made by the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson summed up his shrewd and often frustrating negotiating skills.
Levy, who joined the Spurs board in December 2000, has been the figurehead behind the north London club's move from White Hart Lane to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He now steps down with no changes being made to his ownership or shares in the club, as the Levy family will continue to own 29.88 per cent of the share capital of ENIC.
It comes hot on the heels of Vinai Venkatesham's arrival as Chief Executive Officer, while Peter Charrrington has joined the board and stepped into the role of Non-Executive Chairman, in what has been described as a move prioritising sporting success.
Levy was renowned during his time with Spurs for his approach to transfers, building up a reputation as a shrewd negotiator with an eye for a deal. However, these tactics rubbed legendary Manchester United boss Ferguson the wrong way when the two were pitched against each other in negotiations over Dimitar Berbatov 17 years ago.
Berbatov eventually sealed a switch from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford for £30million, although the bitter fallout saw Tottenham complain to the Premier League over the move. Afterwards, Ferguson was less than complimentary when reflecting on the negotiations.
"That whole experience was more painful than my hip replacement," he penned in his book, Leading, displaying just how difficult Levy was to deal with, effectively paying the now-63-year-old a backhanded compliment about his negotiating skills.
After Levy's exit was announced, he released a heartfelt statement: "I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees.
"We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level. More than that, we have built a community," he continued.
"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."
Charrington will now step up as the Non-Executive Chairman, and he stated after joining the Tottenham board: "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.
"This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch. I do recognise there has been a lot of change in recent months as we put in place new foundations for the future. We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the club, led by Vinai and his executive team."