Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has insisted the perception of him as a hard-nosed businessman with little regard for sporting success is 'unfair'. In a rare public defence of his leadership, Levy said he remains 'incredibly ambitious to improve the team' and that critics underestimate the challenges of running a football club.
Speaking in Amazon Prime's fly-on-the-wall documentary 'All or Nothing', which charts Spurs' turbulent season, Levy said: 'I think the perception of me is that I'm hard-nosed, stubborn, don't care and [am] not ambitious. I think a lot of that isn't fair.' He added that he has 'run a lot of businesses' but that 'running a football club is the hardest business I've ever run'.
The documentary also shows Levy in an unusually hands-on role, attending Jose Mourinho's first pre-match press briefing and nodding as the new manager revealed his plan to drop Harry Winks for Eric Dier. Levy described Mourinho as one of the two best coaches in the world, alongside an unnamed rival Premier League manager.
Levy was candid about the decision to appoint and later dismiss Mauricio Pochettino, admitting he 'got lucky' with the Argentine in 2014. He described Pochettino's sacking as 'the most emotional decision' he has ever had to make. 'My heart was telling me don't do it and my brain was telling me you need to do it,' he said.
Reflecting on the end of Pochettino's five-and-a-half-year tenure, Levy acknowledged the relationship went beyond employer and employee. 'It's not a nice experience for either of us,' he said. 'The fact is that the results weren't where they needed to be. We have to do what we feel is right for the club and only time will tell if it's the right decision.'
