9 hours ago
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Daniel Levy has relinquished his role as Tottenham's executive chairman, and his often exasperating negotiation tactics were once summed up by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
Levy, who became part of the Spurs board in December 2000, was the driving force behind the club's transition from White Hart Lane to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He steps down after almost 25 years without any alterations to his ownership or shares in the club, with the Levy family maintaining their 29.88 per cent of ENIC's share capital.
This follows closely on the heels of Vinai Venkatesham's appointment as Chief Executive Officer, while Peter Charrrington has joined the board and assumed the position of Non-Executive Chairman, in what is being seen as a shift towards prioritising sporting success.
During his tenure at Spurs, Levy was known for his approach to transfers, earning a reputation as a savvy negotiator with a knack for striking a deal. However, these tactics irked legendary Manchester United manager Ferguson when they found themselves on opposite sides of the negotiating table over Dimitar Berbatov 17 years ago.
Berbatov eventually made the move from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford for £30million, but the acrimonious aftermath led to Tottenham lodging a complaint with the Premier League about the transfer. Later, Ferguson didn't mince his words when talking about the deal, reports the Mirror.
"That whole experience was more painful than my hip replacement," he wrote in his book, Leading, illustrating just how challenging it was to negotiate with Levy, effectively giving the now-63-year-old a veiled compliment about his bargaining prowess.
Upon the announcement of his departure, Levy issued a touching 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 added.
"I was fortunate 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 is set to take on the role of Non-Executive Chairman, and upon joining the Tottenham board, he expressed: "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.
He continued: "We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the club, led by Vinai and his executive team."
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