Daniel Levy discovered his Tottenham Hotspur sacking on the day it was announced, per a new report from The Athletic. The long-serving powerbroker in north London was shockingly removed from his position on September 4, and the new report suggests he had no idea he was about to be axed from a position he had held since 2001.
Levy axed
Spurs announced on September 21 that Levy had left his position as executive chairman of the club, marking an end to a 24-year reign that saw a glistening new stadium built, and two trophies won – the League Cup in 2008 and the Europa League last season. The Athletic now reports that Levy discovered his exit on the day it was announced, with him reporting for work with no idea the axe was about to fall. With the summer transfer window closed, and the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus signed, Levy walked into a meeting with director Peter Charrington, who informed him that he would be leaving his role.
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Levy's departure came about so suddenly that the departing chairman was not even allowed into the training ground to retrieve his belongings. His wife, Tracey, who also worked at the club until the day of her husband's exit, also saw her access revoked as Spurs took immediate steps to cut the pair off. Spurs eventually returned their possessions via a removal van. It is not unusual in business settings for such a brisk exit to be conducted, but it remains shocking given Levy's length of service and his famously hands-on approach. Per the report, he was still heavily involved in transfer dealings throughout the summer, with his responsibilities not diminishing ahead of his departure.
'I will be appreciated when I'm gone'
Levy gave an interview to The Overlap's Gary Neville in the summer and revealed his belief that he will be appreciated after his exit, as Spurs fans reflect on his influence.
He said: “It’s one of those situations when I’m not here I’m sure I’ll get the credit.
“This stadium is a symbol of Tottenham Hotspur on the global map. It’s fantastic for the local community – the employment we’re creating because of this stadium. 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.”
Levy also drove the appointment of Thomas Frank after sacking Ange Postecoglou and added: “Whenever you appoint a coach, you always believe it’s right. You need a lot of ingredients for it to be right. Thomas is a highly intelligent individual, a fantastic way about him in terms of communication.
“He will be great at developing young players and older players and making them better. He gets the style of football we want to play. We haven’t said to him: ‘You’ve got to win the league this year.’ We just want to compete at the highest level.”
Frank's shock
Further to the shock announcement, even Frank has confirmed that he had no idea his boss was about to be forced out.
He told Sky Sports: "It was a big surprise for me. Of course, I was told a little bit before it was announced, but that still came very sudden, very quick in every aspect. I've worked together now with Daniel for three months and enjoyed that. I think I owe him a lot.
"I've definitely been on course for a long relationship with Daniel. That was the plan, that was my idea. But in life and football, things happen, things change, and then you need to move on. And against West Ham it will be business as usual.
"The legacy he has at Spurs is fantastic, and it's such an incredible job. He's done it in many ways. He's been here for 24 years and has been a big part of changing the club. The two biggest things are this world-class training centre and, of course, a world-class stadium. So to have those two to stand on as a foundation is incredible.
"So we can really build something for the future that's hopefully going to be even better and bigger and more hopeful."