Tottenham CEO Venkatesham points to Levy-era failings as relegation fears grow

Tottenham Hotspur chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has delivered a blunt assessment of the club’s recent leadership, telling a Fan Advisory Board meeting that an internal review identified deep-running issues dating back to the Daniel Levy era.Former Arsenal executive Venkatesham has led the club since April 2025, following Levy’s departure in September 2025, and has been tasked with resetting governance and football operations as results deteriorate.He told the group Tottenham have moved away from a structure where Levy effectively operated as both chairman and chief executive, with decision-making now designed to run through a modern executive and sporting leadership model.The internal review highlighted persistent operating losses, weaknesses in the club’s player wage structure and a historic lack of focus on maximising player-trading returns, according to accounts of the meeting.Venkatesham also pointed to inadequate resourcing for the women’s team and a broader disconnect with supporters as part of the diagnosis of what has gone wrong.The comments come with Tottenham in 16th place and hovering just above the relegation zone, a collapse that has heightened scrutiny of strategic decisions across recruitment, wages and sporting leadership.Interim head coach Igor Tudor has lost his first four matches since replacing Thomas Frank, with Tottenham conceding heavily and running out of margin for error in the league run-in.The club has already taken steps that reflect the sensitivity of the moment, including pushing back the deadline for 2026-27 season ticket renewals to June 7, after the final game of the campaign.Tottenham told fans the extension followed engagement with supporter groups, amid heightened uncertainty over division status and next season’s pricing structure if relegation were to occur.Any reset is likely to be constrained by profitability and sustainability rules, with senior club figures signalling that future squad planning will need to account for regulatory limits as well as the cost of a rebuild.The immediate focus is on stabilising results, with Tottenham due to face Liverpool next in the Premier League and the second leg of their European tie following a damaging first-leg defeat.The season ticket renewal window now runs beyond the final whistle of the league campaign, effectively giving supporters the option to decide once Tottenham’s league status is confirmed.