Daniel Levy has left his role as chair of Tottenham Hotspur, ending a 25-year tenure that delivered a new stadium but only two major trophies. The Lewis family, who control the club, have installed Peter Charrington as nonexecutive chair and expanded the influence of chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, with attracting fresh investment a priority.
A source close to the Lewis family said: “Generations of the family support this special football club and they want what the fans want – more wins more often. This is why you have seen recent changes, new leadership and a fresh approach. In Vinai, Thomas [Frank, the new manager] and Peter Charrington, they believe they are backing the right team to deliver on this. This is a new era.”
Levy, who took over from Alan Sugar in February 2001, was often criticised by supporters for prioritising profit over on-field success. The club won the League Cup in 2008 and the Europa League last season, but Levy dismissed 13 permanent managers in search of the right formula. He also oversaw the construction of the club’s 62,850-seat stadium and a state-of-the-art training ground, helping Spurs become the ninth-richest club in the world with an annual turnover of £512m in 2023-24, according to Deloitte.
Venkatesham, appointed chief executive in April, said in June that he would take “more of a lead day-to-day on operational matters on the pitch and off the pitch”. Levy had been expected to focus on non-footballing projects, including a hotel, an indoor arena, an expansion of the training ground for the women’s team and a bespoke NFL facility, as well as residential developments in the Tottenham area.
The ownership structure remains under the Lewis family trust, which owns 70.12% of Enic, the company holding 86.91% of Spurs shares. Levy and his family own the remaining 29.88%. The trust’s control shifted in October 2022 when Joe Lewis stepped back, and Lewis was later sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $5m for insider trading in the US. Charrington, a former Citi Private Bank chief executive, is a director of Enic and has links to the family.
