Inside World Football

March 3 – Two recent incidents involving Leeds and Tottenham fans have reignited a debate on racism in English football.

At Leeds United, a brief pause during Saturday’s Premier League match to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast was met with loud boos from sections of the crowd at Elland Road. The stoppage, which came in the 13th minute against Manchester City, lasted barely a minute.

In an email sent by the club’s supporter liaison officer, Leeds acknowledged the incident, describing it as “disappointing”.

“The club is aware of the incident, and it was disappointing that some supporters chose to boo during the pause in play to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast,” the email read. “The club is currently looking into why this happened and what can be done moving forward to prevent incidents of a similar nature from happening again in the future.”

For many supporters, that response felt insufficient. Fans flooded social media and contacted the club directly, with one describing themselves as “deeply disturbed” and “embarrassed” by what they had witnessed.

While Leeds grappled with that fallout at home, English football faced a far more explicit incident abroad. UEFA has fined Tottenham Hotspur and handed the club a suspended ban on selling away tickets after three supporters made Nazi salutes toward Eintracht Frankfurt fans during a Champions League match in Germany.

UEFA said the punishment was imposed for “the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters”, suspending the ban for a one-year probationary period. Spurs were also fined £26,000, with an additional £1,966 levied for objects thrown by supporters.

“The conduct of a small number of fans was utterly abhorrent,” the club said, confirming that all three individuals had been identified and issued indefinite bans. “The club stands firmly against all forms of discrimination and has therefore taken the strongest possible action.”

February 3 – The rumours surrounding the acquisition of Premier League Tottenham Hotspur have intensified. Insideworldfootball has exclusively received verification that they are not just rumours but that an agreement is close on the acquisition of former Spurs executive chairman Daniel Levy’s near 30% shareholding in ENIC/THFC.

A consortium led by US investor Brooklyn Earick and Hong Kong financier Ng Wing Fai could conclude the acquisition as early as this month, according to a high placed source with knowledge of the deal who spoke to Insideworldfootball on the condition of anonymity.

The funds are in place for the reported £1 billion acquisition of Levy’s shares. Sources say that the consortium has ‘comfortable’ access to more funds both to acquire the remaining shares and fund an overhaul of the team.

Both Earick and Wing-Fai (through the Firehawk Holdings consortium) had separately tabled offers of £4 billion+ for the club in August of last year and had funds available to progress, before the Lewis family took the club off the market.

They have now combined to form a powerful alliance that has the money to take control of the club and drive it forward post ENIC.

A Special Purpose Agreement (SPA) is understood to be in place.

Neither Earick or Wing-Fai would make any comment on the acquisition but it is understood that after their offers were turned down last year they regrouped, together, realising that they had a number of mutual friends and investors that still had an appetite to own a premium global football club asset that has room for financial and competitive growth.

As investors they present an interesting profile for the club, not just because they are well funded but because of the additional capabilities and ambition they bring to a club that its fans believe has been restricted by an ownership that has capped spending and ability to challenge for major honours.

Spurs fans are reluctant to credit Levy for the strength of the club which has the most modern stadium in English football and, until the last couple of season, has come close to major trophies (including a Champions League final) but not quite coming away with the big prizes.

Harvard educated Wing Fai, based in Hong Kong, is a billionaire who is a seasoned mergers and acquisition specialist.

Earick is similarly well backed and can best be described as a challenger investor. Having graduated as an electrical and software engineer he had a successful music business career before joining NASA as an engineer based in Silicon Valley. Operating at the pinchpoint of sport, technology, and capital markets, he has subsequently built and sold a number of digital tech businesses and raised more than $25 billion in capital, including taking an early position in SpaceX.

In terms of his skillsets he appears much closer to the Spurs much-vaunted playing philosophy of wanting to entertain but also to win and win big. Winning big has so far eluded the club which fans feel has had too many false dawns in that respect.

The deal for Levy’s shareholding obviously excludes the remainder of the shares in ENIC/Spurs that are owned by the Lewis family.

Under Takeover Panel rules, after withdrawing their separate bids, both Earick and Wing-Fai are prevented from “making a bid or taking other steps towards a takeover” for six months, a period which runs out on March 6.

Quite how they proceed once a deal with Levy is concluded is unclear. What is clear is that they see a major opportunity for the club that could match its shiny stadium.

January 20 – Embattled Tottenham Hotspur have announced a “reset” aimed at creating a winning environment and building bridges with fans.

But whether under-pressure manager Thomas Frank remains at the helm long enough to reap any rewards from it remains to be seen.

The reset will look at sporting operations, player transfers, academy development, and supporter engagement, as the club takes stock at the midpoint of a disappointing season.

Delivered by CEO Vinai Venkatesham, who as a former Arsenal executive has had his work cut out winning over fans, it’s a message which acknowledges failures.

Venkatesham admitted “the men’s team has “fallen short of where we want to be so far this season” and said the club “must add more quality, experience, and leadership to compete consistently at the highest level.”

He framed the moment as a “rare opportunity” to rebuild internal processes following a deep review of football and non-football operations, with the stated aim of regular Champions League contention.

Tottenham say they maintain confidence in the current squad, despite it sitting in 14th place in the Premier League table. But admit reinforcements are needed.

Venkatesham promised “a more proactive approach to recruitment, alongside a wage structure that supports our ambition,” adding: “Player trading is also about knowing when to sell and being decisive about moving players on who are not part of our future. Doing so is essential to maximising value and managing our financial fair play obligations.”

The academy remains another strategic pillar. Spurs accept that progress in youth recruitment and coaching must translate more reliably into first-team minutes or transfer value. Additional investment has been committed to improve development pathways.

Venkatesham acknowledged a growing rift between the team and its fans, who have fallen out of love for head coach Frank. “Perhaps most importantly, we know there is distance between the club and our supporters, and we are committed to rebuilding that connection,” Venkatesham said.

Investment in Tottenham Hotspur Women will also increase. “Our joint ambition is clear,” Venkatesham said. “To see our men’s team competing regularly in the Champions League and for major trophies, while significantly raising the competitive level of our women’s team. We know words carry little weight without action.”

January 15 – Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Fabio Paratici is heading back to Italy – to take up a position at Fiorentinia – leaving the club just three and a half months after being reappointed as sporting director. Spurs, once again, are left explaining another senior exit that raises more questions than answers.

His first spell, as managing director of football from 2021 to 2023, ended in embarrassment with a global ban following alleged financial malpractice during his time at Juventus. After serving that ban, he returned in a newly created co-sporting director role alongside Johan Lange. Now he is gone again.

“I want to thank Vinai and the Board of Tottenham Hotspur for accommodating my desire to return to Italy and join Fiorentina,” Paratici said. “I have loved my time at the Club, however this opportunity, together with the need to be based in my homeland, has led me to this decision.”

He added: “Spurs is a club that is very close to my heart… I have no doubt that they will achieve things, and I will be watching closely from Italy.”

While being a nice, cuddly statement, the reality on the ground is as cold as an English January morning. Tottenham are 14th in the Premier League, the football is being openly slaughtered by the fan base, and pressure is already on new manager, Thomas Frank, so intense that the Dane has seemingly aged 10 years in 6 months.

Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham is trying desperately to be the calm in the midst of a hurricane, saying, “We have agreed that Fabio will return to Italy following the conclusion of the January transfer window, in line with his wish to move back home,” he said. “Our management structure is designed to be resilient to personnel changes, and it will be business as usual moving forward.”

That line, “business as usual,” is working overtime. What exactly is usual at Tottenham now? A revolving door of coaches. Reshuffled executive titles. Short-term appointments dressed up as long-term planning. Promises and grand statements of stability that barely survive a season.

If the sporting director barely unpacks his boxes before leaving, what does that say about the strategy? If the coach is already under fire and the team is drifting, who is steering this thing?

Despite winning the Europa League last season and qualifying for the Champions League, Tottenham does not look like a club being built for long-term success. They look like a club stuck in a loop of incompetence.

Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at

November 21 – In a commercial landscape packed with crypto firms, finance platforms and hydration drinks, Tottenham Hotspur’s latest partnership announcement may raise a few eyebrows – or restore them.

The club has signed a deal with Elithair, the world’s largest hair-transplant clinic, in a move that is both unexpected and oddly well-targeted for a fanbase where ageing, confidence, and hairlines often move in the same direction.

While football sponsorships are usually about performance or lifestyle, this one cuts directly into a real, everyday issue for supporters. Hair loss affects millions of men globally – including a hefty proportion of the match-going demographic – and the Spurs–Elithair tie-up leans straight into that reality, aiming to reduce stigma and normalise treatment.

Tottenham says the partnership is built around “inspiring self-confidence” and promoting the clinic’s medical expertise to fans. To launch the deal, the club released a family-focused film telling the story of a father who regains his confidence after treatment – confidence he passes onto his young son as they attend Spurs matches together.

Elithair branding will appear throughout Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during home fixtures, giving the company a direct line to tens of thousands of fans every matchday and millions more watching globally.

As football clubs increasingly diversify their commercial portfolios, Spurs may have stumbled onto one of the more relatable partnerships in the Premier League. After all, not every supporter needs a crypto wallet or an energy drink – but a little extra hair and confidence? That’s a market with no shortage of demand amongst the folically challenged.

Ryan Norys, Chief Revenue Officer, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are proud to partner with Elithair, a brand that has demonstrated undisputed global leadership in its field. As the world’s largest hair transplant clinic, we could not have chosen a better partner than Elithair to engage our fanbase through a mission to inspire self-confidence and offer globally recognised clinical treatment practices.”

Hats off to Spurs.

November 19 – Tottenham Hotspur have extended their partnership with Coca-Cola through to the end of the 2027/28 season, securing the drinks giant as the club’s Official Soft Drinks Partner across both the men’s and women’s teams.

The renewal continues a relationship first formed in 2022 and keeps one of the world’s most recognisable consumer brands embedded at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on matchdays. Coca-Cola’s full beverage range – which also includes Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper – will remain available throughout the state-of-the-art venue for another two seasons at least.

The agreement marks another step in strengthening the commercial spine of the club ahead of what is expected to be a sale, though the club has denied it is for sale.

Coca-Cola will play a larger role in fan-facing activations at home and abroad. The partnership has already delivered a number of community-led initiatives, including a campaign with Special Olympics athletes supported by the women’s team.

The renewed deal also places greater emphasis on promoting Spurs Women – an area both parties highlight as a shared priority, in line with growing commercial attention around the women’s game.

Ryan Norys, chief revenue officer, Tottenham Hotspur said: “Our partnership with Coca-Cola has brought together two globally recognised brands in their respective fields. We are thrilled to be extending this partnership with a renewed focus on empowering the continued growth of our women’s team and engaging with fans.”

Javier Meza, president marketing europe, Coca-Cola said: “Tottenham Hotspur is an iconic club that we’ve had the privilege of working closely with over the past three years. We’re excited to continue our valued partnership, with both the men’s and women’s teams, to share moments of refreshment and enjoyment with Spurs fans in London and beyond.”

November 13 – It has been said that ‘what goes around, comes around’ and for years, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium was sneered at as “the library” by their heated rivals, Tottenham Hotspur; however, now it’s Spurs’ Stadium that risks inheriting that label.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) has warned that “unaffordable” ticket prices are killing the atmosphere at Spurs’ home. Despite the grandeur of the 62,850-seat arena, Spurs have managed a paltry three wins from 20 home league matches in 2025.

Even the unexpected return to the Champions League has seen below capacity crowds of 54,755 and 49,565 against Villarreal and Copenhagen.

The supporters’ trust didn’t mince words, saying, “Over the last couple of seasons, it’s undeniable that the atmosphere has declined at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The reasons are simple – too many empty seats and too many supporters, particularly young supporters, priced out of attending. Thin the crowd and you thin the noise.”

Last season’s manic run in the Europa League proved that fair ticket pricing can fill the ground. “Europa League nights last season, with sensibly priced tickets, proved the point,” THST added. “Fair ticket pricing fills the ground, often with the next generation of Spurs fans. And the noise follows. This season, the illusion has gone.”

Even Premier League games, once guaranteed sellouts, now show “gaps we’ve never known at Tottenham.” The South Stand, built to be a wall of sound, feels subdued. “A world-class stadium without a full house is only half a home,” the statement read.

The irony? Just across north London, Arsenal finally turned their “library” into a cauldron. Spurs, meanwhile, are discovering what silence really sounds like.

November 4 – Tottenham Hotspur will have a new front of shirt sponsor from the start of the 2027/28 season as pan-Asian life insurance group AIA, the clubs main sponsor since 2013, transitions to becoming the club’s Global Training Partner in a new deal that begins July 2027 and runs until June 2032.

AIA currently pays Spurs about £40 million per year as part of an eight-year, £320 million sponsorship. That deal covers the men’s, women’s and academy teams.

Under the new deal AIA’s logo will feature on the training wear for all Spurs teams and coaches’ kit. AIA’s brand will also continue to appear on LED signage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ryan Norys, chief revenue officer, Tottenham Hotspur, (pictured left) said: “During our long-term partnership to date, Tottenham Hotspur and AIA have made history together. Both brands have experienced significant growth as we have shared unforgettable moments on and off the pitch, including some of the most important events in our club’s history.

“Importantly, the partnership has been able to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of thousands of young people across Asia– bringing our unique brand of football coaching to a region that has such a huge passion for the game – with the clear message of empowering people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”

No value was given for the new deal that will carry on with many of the marketing activations of AIA’s existing sponsorship.

More than 175,000 young people across Asia have participated in the AIA football clinics run by Spurs coaches. Their focus has been on public engagement around training, health, and wellbeing in Asia. In 2022, AIA launched its AIA One Billion (AOB) initiative, aiming to engage a billion people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives by 2030. So far the campaign has reached more than 500 million people.

Stuart A. Spencer, AIA Group chief marketing officer, (pictured right) said: “AIA is delighted to extend our strong partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club through to 2032. The evolution of our partnership reflects our shared belief in the power of sport to inspire healthier living and personal development. Asia is the region with the Premier League’s largest fanbase and as we enter the next chapter of our collaboration, we’re excited to build on our achievements and introduce new initiatives that empower people across Asia to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”

October 13 – Having rejected an offer of £3.3 billion for Tottenham Hotspur on October 6, three days later the club announced a cash injection of £100 million from owners ENIC to “empower the management team to deliver on the club’s ambitions”.

The cash injection is without doubt a head scratcher, and with ENIC now having invested close to £260 million since 2024, the question is why suddenly invest more than they have put into the club in the previous 25 years.

Previously they have showed little operational interest, and the ruling Lewis family (at least by volume of shares) was rarely seen at the club. It was the domain of Daniel Levy and whether you love him (hard not to be impressed by what he achieved in terms of financial sustainability, however he did it), or hate him like most Spurs fans who wanted to see more spent on the team, it was a club that had organically forced an expansion of the Premier League’s Big Four clubs, to a Big Six alongside Newcastle United.

The departure of Levy was unexpected and clearly acrimonious. His leaving fanfare was neither noisy or fulsome, and his replacement by one of the Lewis family’s inner circle as non-executive chairman, Peter Charrington, a banker by trade, looked like a sign that this is a club being prepared for a sale.

The club has insisted that it is not for sale and the £100 million investment, less that 5% of the valuation of the club, will, according to a Spurs statement, “strengthen the club’s financial position and equip the club’s leadership team with additional resources to continue the focus on driving long-term sporting success.”

It is feasible, taking the statements and the £100m injection at face value, that ENIC have suddenly had an epiphany and feel that one of Levy’s final decisions (the appointment of Thomas Frank) could prove the one that cements the club at the top Premier League, and they will punt on him to do that.

But the Lewis family are better known as traders, and £3.3bn is a lot to walk away from.

The offer from a consortium led by American Brooklyn Earick didn’t come out the blue and had been under discussion with Levy. Rothschild are Spurs’ bankers of choice and they hold the keys to the data room where all the financial information needed to assess commercial performance, valuations and fiscal health is held.

That Spurs were not for sale and never have been is not the case – and management have a duty to shareholders to listen to any offer. What is not known is whether Levy shared the offer with the Lewis Family Trust. After all, he had been running every aspect of the club – including the £1.2 billion building of their spectacular stadium – pretty much without any oversight from Joe Lewis, and now the Lewis Family Trust.

Levy owns 29.88% of ENIC, who own 86.58% of Spurs. A deal with Earick would give his portfolio a chunky £1 billion boost, a significant amount for a man who was regarded as one of the Premier League’s most parsimonious chairmen. In March 2024 the value to Levy’s shares would have been about £600 million

For the Lewis family a £2 billion boost is presumably similarly exciting. Except that it doesn’t seem to be.

Under UK takeover and merger rules Earick had until October 24 to formally make an offer for the club, but has said that won’t happen after having accepted the Lewis position of “unequivocally rejecting” his informal expression of interest.

So the club really isn’t for sale? No-one is really fooled by that. Earick posted on social media that: “It’s been a privilege engaging with Tottenham Hotspur and the Lewis family’s representatives over the past few months.

“I have great respect for the club, its leadership, and its supporters, and wish them nothing but success.”

So the club that isn’t for sale was negotiating a sale for ‘the past few months’.

Does that mean there is another ‘preferred’ deal in the wings? If there is the club would have to inform its shareholders. There have reportedly been three offers for the club but Earick’s would appear to have been the only one to have been taken seriously.

Spurs fans may still get their second wish. Having seen Levy depart they might get the new owner they crave with deep pockets to cashflow the player acquisitions they think they need.

September 12 – Tottenham Hotspur have sharpened their knives, unveiling a three-year partnership with Stanley, the global hand tools giant.

Under the deal, Stanley will gain visibility at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the usual branding on LED perimeter boards on matchdays and involvement in local outreach programmes.

Ryan Norys, Spurs’ chief revenue officer, said: “We are excited to announce a partnership with STANLEY for the next three years as part of its UK-expansion objectives. We have a strong connection to our local area and in STANLEY we have found a partner equally dedicated to fostering meaningful connections with its communities.”

In recent years have secured headline partnerships with AIA, Cinch and Getir, while also looking further afield across Asia and the United States. These partnerships have cemented Tottenham’s reputation as one of the Premier League’s most marketable clubs.

This announcement comes on the back of the departure of Daniel Levy after 24 years at the helm.

Levy was legendary for his sharp negotiating to maximise revenues and squeeze every last pound from deals. Without his day-to-day hand in the business, the challenge for Tottenham’s new leadership will be maintaining that same momentum on the financial ledger while ensuring the club builds on the momentum of winning their first trophy in 17 years on the pitch.