The Independent

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has acknowledged even he did not expect Daniel Levy’s departure but has praised the “foundations” laid by the former chairman.

Levy stepped down from his role as Spurs chairman last week after being invited to leave the position he had held since 2001 by majority owners ENIC, which is owned by the Lewis family trust.

It was a shock move given Levy’s longevity at the club and Frank pointed to some of the biggest projects overseen by the 63-year-old in terms of the club’s state-of-the-art Hotspur Way training ground and world-class Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his legacy.

“I would say I don’t think anyone expected it but a decision is made and we move forward,” Frank reflected ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Ham.

“Daniel deserves massive praise. He has been here 24 years, must be one of longest chairman that’s been in the Premier League ever.

“The things he’s built, the success he’s been a massive part of, you can’t praise enough and two big things is he has laid foundations for the future in terms of this fantastic training centre and the stadium.

“Both of them are at a level where we can compete with big clubs for the future.”

Frank revealed he has spoken to Levy to say goodbye since his departure, but reiterated the commitment of majority owners ENIC.

A source close to the Lewis family told PA last week: “Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want – more wins more often.”

Frank, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and new non-executive chairman Peter Charrington were all name checked as “the right team to deliver” on the desire of the Lewis family to witness more on-field success at Tottenham.

Frank continued: “Yes, I’ve spoken to him and of course known Daniel but only known him the last three months.

“Of course I spent more time with him but it’s been brief. I said thank you because it was not only him appointing me but he had the decisive words and I will always be appreciative of that.

“It is not a new ownership, it is the same ownership but it’s just the majority shareholders have more influence. They are very committed to the club and want to build something for the future. The main thing I can do is focus on my job now and that is West Ham tomorrow.”

PA

West Ham will be hoping to continue where they left off last time out, when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium in Saturday’s evening kick-off (5:30pm, Sky Sports).

The international break couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Hammers after ending a run of three straight defeats, in all competitions, to beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground.

All three goals, from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson, came in the last six minutes to ease the pressure a little bit on manager Graham Potter and lengthening their Premier League relegation odds after a tough start.

Since the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, the Hammers boss is the football betting sites’ favourite when it comes to the next manager to be sacked, at odds of 9/4.

He has won just six of his 23 games since taking charge of the Hammers in January, but he will be hoping that the win at Forest can kickstart their season.

His counterpart at Spurs, Thomas Frank, has had an excellent start to life at Tottenham, winning his opening two league games against Burnley and Manchester City, before going down 1-0 to Bournemouth last time out.

West Ham vs Tottenham betting: Spurs to bounce back

The odds seem to be firmly stacked against West Ham, not just based on their current form but also the fact that they have won just one of their last seven league matches against their London rivals, drawing three and losing three.

That win came back in December 2023 when second-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse cancelled out Cristian Romero’s opener to earn the Hammers a 2-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Each of the last three matches across London have ended in a 1-1 draw, and Spurs are winless in five visits, drawing three and losing two, since a 3-2 win in November 2019.

Betting sites have installed Spurs as favourites, while West Ham are home underdogs. Bettors can also find a fairly decent price on a draw in the latest Premier League odds, and considering the last three matches at West Ham have finished all square, that is not a bad shout.

On paper, this should be a win for Spurs, but when it comes to a derby and straight after an international break, logic so often goes out of the window.

The fact that Spurs have lost 10 of their last 16 London derbies in the Premier League and kept just one clean sheet in their last 21 derby matches in the league means we should expect goals.

West Ham vs Tottenham prediction 1: BTTS and Spurs to win - 3/1 Bet365

West Ham vs Tottenham prediction: Paqueta packing a punch for the Hammers

Despite their disappointing start to the season, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta has still managed to score three goals in three games, two in the league and one in the 3-2 League Cup defeat to Wolves.

He also netted for Brazil last Friday, scoring the second goal in a 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Chile, so he is certainly the one to watch for the Hammers.

The midfielder scored just five goals in 41 games for club and country last season, but he already has four in six games this season.

Betting apps have the 28-year-old at 12/1 to score first, 11/1 to score last or you can get a generous 19/5 on him scoring at any time.

West Ham vs Tottenham prediction 2: Lucas Paqueta to score at any time - 19/5 Ladbrokes

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Nottingham Forest have confirmed coaches Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo and Rob Burch will form new boss Ange Postecoglou's backroom staff.

All four worked with Postecoglou, who was appointed Forest head coach on Tuesday after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked, in his previous job at Tottenham.

A Forest statement read: "Following the arrival of Ange Postecoglou as the club's new head coach, the quartet are taking up crucial roles within the coaching team.

"Jedinak, who himself played nearly 100 times in the Premier League and worked with Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, arrives as assistant coach."

Forest added: "Montgomery and Raimundo are joining, both as an assistant coach, having held the same roles under Postecoglou at Tottenham."

Burch worked as Spurs goalkeeping coach and joins Forest in the same role, the midlands club said.

Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham in June, 16 days after leading them to Europa League glory.

The 60-year-old Australian spent two years in charge of Spurs and departed following their 17th-placed Premier League finish last season.

PA

Employers are legally entitled to turn down a candidate for a job if they support a rival football team to their company’s existing staff, a judge has ruled.

At a hearing in Croydon, south London, employment judge Daniel Wright suggested that an interviewer should be permitted to reject a job applicant who is an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan if the office was full of Arsenal supporters.

He said: “There may be times when it is perfectly lawful for an employer to decide that somebody just will not be a fit with the team and that therefore it would be difficult to work together.

“An example of this could be a small company where everybody who works in the office is an ardent supporter of Arsenal football club, and they decide to pick an Arsenal fan at interview over a similarly qualified Tottenham Hotspur season ticket holder because they do not want to damage the harmony of the office.

“The decision there would be lawful (albeit taking the example to the extreme would not necessarily be good for business).”

The judgement, however, was delivered with regards to a case that had nothing to do with support for football teams.

Mr Wright was hearing a case brought to the court by Russian national Maia Kalina, who claimed that she was not hired by Digitas LBI during a final round of interviews because she was not outgoing and did not enjoy going to the pub.

She said the interviewer, Stephanie Hill, chose not to hire her because she did not like to curse nor go drinking with colleagues, things that she saw as typically British.

Ms Kalia cited severe anxiety and depression as reasons why she did not like to drink and socialise.

Ms Hill told the tribunal the decision to hire another candidate “ultimately … came down to who was the better fit in the team”, adding that she “vibed” more with the other interviewee.

Mr Wright dismissed Ms Kalina’s claims.

He said: “We have two candidates who were both considered appointable. They were pretty evenly matched, with their own particular strengths. I see nothing wrong with looking at who would fit into the team better as long as the assessment is done with caution.”

He added: “In this case, [Ms Kalina] relies upon a stereotype of British people being outgoing, enjoying going to the pub, and being relaxed swearing whereas she is more restrained as she comes from a cultural background where going to the pub is not a big thing and swearing is frowned upon.

“I find that there is no stereotype of British workers being as [she] describes. I accept that a number of British people could be described as going to the pub, swearing liberally and being outgoing.

“But there are just as many British people who frown upon anything which could be considered a curse word, who eschew the pub culture and who are far from outgoing and instead have the British stiff upper lip.”

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Harry Kane pays tribute to Daniel Levy following Spurs exit

Miguel Delaney

Tuesday 09 September 2025 07:01 BST

Harry Kane expressed surprise at Daniel Levy's abrupt departure as Tottenham Hotspur chairman, praising him as a "fantastic chairman" for his two decades at the club.

Kane acknowledged the significant transformation of Spurs under Levy, both on and off the pitch, during his tenure.

Following Levy's exit, the Tottenham board confirmed it had "unequivocally rejected" two separate expressions of interest to acquire the club.

The rejected bids came from PCP International Finance and a consortium led by Dr. Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited.

The club reiterated that the Premier League outfit is "not for sale" despite the recent speculation surrounding a takeover.

Tottenham’s record goalscorer Harry Kane paid tribute to “fantastic chairman” Daniel Levy following his recent exit.

Levy is understood to have been asked to stand down from his position last week following a review of operations at the north London club, ending a 24-year stint in charge.

Kane, who came through the ranks at Spurs, saw first hand how Levy transformed the club off the pitch with the building of their new stadium and unrivalled training ground.

But he also witnessed the other side as he was part of a title-challenging team which Levy chose not to strengthen in 2018, while also falling foul of one of football’s most notoriously difficult negotiators when trying – and failing – to leave for Manchester City in the summer of 2021.

The 32-year-old eventually got a move to Bayern Munich in 2023 and is surprised that Levy’s time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is over.

“Obviously, it’s a bit of a surprise, if I’m honest,” he said. “I didn’t expect it, didn’t see that coming.

“Daniel has been a fantastic chairman for Tottenham in the 20 years or so he’s been there.

“Considering where the club was and where it is now, I think it’s been a big change, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.

“At any stage there’s always going to be change in clubs, and change in the higher positions.

“Obviously I don’t know too much about why or what happened. All I can say is I wish Daniel all the best in whatever’s next for him.

“We obviously built a relationship over the time we had together. I’m sure at some stage we’ll catch up.

“Overall for Tottenham, it’s a new chapter they’re trying to create now.”

Kane has been one of many victims of an outspoken Michael Owen, who claimed during an interview with Rio Ferdinand that Kane was “nuts” for joining Bayern two years ago when he had the Premier League goalscoring record in view.

But the England captain took a diplomatic view, insisting his move to Germany was also about playing at the highest level.

“I heard it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Kane said. “I’ve spent a bit of time with him but don’t know him well. Obviously he is a Premier League great and an England great as well so I’ll respect him as a person.

“But ultimately, as he will know, everyone’s career is different – everyone’s decisions and motivations are different.

“I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible and I’m really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarter-final.

“I feel I’m improving as a player, I’m pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring and just improving.

“It’s hard not to hear things these days but the decisions are best for me and I’m really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now.”

Harry Kane says he didn't see Daniel Levy’s departure from Tottenham Hotspur coming, as the England striker hailed “a fantastic chairman”.

Kane left Spurs for Bayern Munich in 2023, amid some tension over a protracted saga. The England captain still had warm words for Levy, having had his career cross over with some of the chairman’s most high-profile years at Spurs.

“Obviously it was a bit of a surprise, if I’m honest,” Kane said. “I didn’t expect it, didn’t see that coming.

“Daniel has been a fantastic chairman for Tottenham in the 20-or-so years he’s been there. Considering where the club was and where it is now, I think there's been a big change, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well.

“At any stage there’s always going to be change in clubs, and change in the higher positions.”

Levy left Spurs abruptly on Thursday, amid a widespread feeling that the owning Lewis family had decided the time was right for change.

“Obviously I don’t know too much about why or what happened,” Kane added. “All I can say is I wish Daniel all the best in whatever’s next for him.

“We obviously built a relationship over the time we had together. I'm sure at some stage we’ll catch up. Overall for Tottenham it’s a new chapter they're trying to create now.”

Since Levy stepped down from his role, the Tottenham board says it has “unequivocally rejected” two expressions of interest in acquiring the club and insisted the Premier League outfit is “not for sale”.

Levy’s departure led to speculation of a Spurs takeover bid, with former Newcastle joint-owner Amanda Staveley repeatedly linked with a move to buy the north London club through PCP International Finance during the past 12 months.

In a statement issued late on Sunday evening, the Tottenham board confirmed it had “received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of ENIC from (i) PCP International Finance… and (ii) a consortium of investors led by Dr. Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited”.

Bosses at Tottenham Hotspur have said the football club is “not for sale”, as Amanda Staveley’s firm pulled out of a potential takeover move.

On Monday morning, PCP International Finance, the investment vehicle led by former Newcastle United shareholder Ms Staveley, confirmed it had been interested in a potential move.

But it confirmed that “it does not intend to make an offer for Tottenham”.

Takeover rules mean the company cannot return with an offer for Tottenham in the next six months.

It came amid growing speculation that a takeover of the club could be imminent following the sudden departure of long-standing executive chairman Daniel Levy late last week.

Mr Levy was the Premier League’s longest-standing chairman, having held the role for 24 years.

On Sunday evening, the club confirmed that it had received takeover interest from two parties but that it did not plan to sell.

ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd, the majority shareholder of the club, said it had interest from PCP and a consortium of investors led by Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited.

In a statement, Tottenham’s board confirmed it had “received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of ENIC”.

It said: “The board of the club and ENIC confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and ENIC has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the club.”

ENIC, which is run by the Lewis family trust, owns almost 87% of Tottenham, but due to the remaining shares being publicly traded, the club is subject to the UK Takeover Code.

The Tottenham board says it has “unequivocally rejected” two expressions of interest in acquiring the club and insisted the Premier League outfit is “not for sale”.

Daniel Levy stepped down from his role as Spurs chairman last Thursday, after being invited to leave the position he had held since 2001 by majority owners ENIC, which is owned by the Lewis family trust.

It led to speculation of a takeover bid for Tottenham, with former Newcastle joint-owner Amanda Staveley repeatedly linked with a move to buy the north London club through PCP International Finance during the past 12 months.

In a statement issued late on Sunday evening, Tottenham’s board confirmed it had “received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of ENIC from (i) PCP International Finance… and (ii) a consortium of investors led by Dr. Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited”.

The statement added: “The Board of the Club and ENIC confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and ENIC has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the Club.”

It was earlier reported that Staveley would issue a statement on Monday via PCP that will clarify her intentions and state she does not plan to put together a bid for Spurs.

ENIC, which is run by the Lewis family Trust, owns almost 87 per cent of Tottenham, but due to the remaining shares being publicly traded, the club is subject to UK Takeover Code.

Former Spurs chairman Levy revealed last year that the club were in talks with “prospective investors” over selling a minority share, although discussions involving Qatar Sports Investments were denied.