Daniel Levy gives honest verdict on Tottenham backlash and lack of trophies
Daniel Levy believes his work will not be fully appreciated until he steps away from Spurs. The chairman says protests from fans calling for him to move on leave him feeling bruised and while he has 'suffered' like a supporter when results have been poor.
But he is convinced that delayed gratification will come when he is no longer in the firing line having overseen an era of seismic financial growth.
Levy has been in charge of Spurs since 2001 but their off-field successes, headlined by the opening of their £1bn stadium in 2019, have not measured up with underperformance on the pitch.
May's Europa League win was the club's first trophy since 2008 – and still preceded the 13th permanent managerial charge of Levy's reign as Ange Postecoglou paid the price for a dismal domestic campaign.
"I think it's one of those situations - when I'm not here I'm sure I'll get the credit,' Levy told The Overlap. "When you come here and look at this wonderful building (the stadium) and the fact that other clubs are now trying to copy what we're doing, that should be a sign that maybe we did do something bold and something right.
"The construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is my greatest achievement. This stadium is a symbol of Tottenham Hotspur on the global map."
Asked about the backlash he has experienced from supporters who believe change is necessary, Levy replied: 'Of course it hurts but their pain is also my pain. I want to win and when we're not playing well, and we're not winning, believe me, I suffer as well. It ruins the whole weekend. It's horrible – you're in this to win and when you don't win, it's no fun.'
Levy said a 'collective' decision was made to part ways with Postecoglou in June, despite the Australian bringing badly-needed silverware to north London.
And the chairman has made it clear that now the team has tasted success new boss Thomas Frank must use his predecessor's triumph as 'a springboard' for more.
"Nothing has changed in terms of our ambition, that has always been the case, but having won the Europa League you get a taste of it,' he added. "But it's not enough. We know we need to use that as a springboard to keep winning.
"I can't really answer (why), because I'm not the one that picks the team, motivates the team. We couldn't lose sight of the fact that we finished 17th in the league. We lost 22 Premier League games, and it's impossible for Tottenham to be in that position, and so we had to take the emotion out of it.
"We're there to win and yes, we won a European trophy, and it was fantastic. But we also need to win on all fronts - and the Premier League says it all."
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