Highlights
- Vinai Venkatesham says Spurs needed a "complete reset", not just a turnaround
- He admitted there was no "relentless obsession with football success" at the club
- The Tudor appointment was "a risk" that "didn't work out", he said
- The Lewis family, owners, said they are "all in" and investing in a rebuild
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR's chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has said the club needed a "complete reset" after narrowly escaping relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.
In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport, Venkatesham, who joined Spurs last June after leaving a similar role at Arsenal, said the club was in a "significantly worse state" than he had expected in several key areas.
"It was very clear that this wasn't some form of turnaround that was required of the club in quite a few areas," he was quoted as saying. "It was really a complete reset."
While praising the club's commercial operations and stadium, Venkatesham was blunt about the football side of the business. "I don't think that there was what I would call a relentless obsession with football success," he said, a pointed remark widely seen as a criticism of former executive chairman Daniel Levy, who left the club last September after nearly 25 years.
Venkatesham also took aim at the feel of the club's training ground, widely considered one of the best in the world. "Our training centre is amazing, one of the best, if not the best in the world," he said.
"But when you look around, it looks more like a five-star hotel than it does a performance environment. That will change over the summer."
Roberto De Zerbi came to the rescue
The CEO also defended the club's decision to sack manager Thomas Frank in February, before admitting that replacing him with interim boss Igor Tudor had been an error. Tudor left by mutual consent after just seven games.
"Was it a risk in appointing him? Absolutely," Venkatesham told BBC Sport. "It didn't work out. I think it's very clear it didn't work out."
He revealed that Spurs had first tried to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as full-time manager when Frank was sacked, but the Italian was unwilling to take over mid-season. De Zerbi eventually came in for the final seven games, taking 11 points to secure survival.
Spurs fans react to the first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Venkatesham said he had made an "extraordinary impact" both on results and in the dressing room.
Spurs finished 17th for the second season running, with survival secured only in the closing minutes of their final match against Everton. A small protest was held in the stands at full-time.
Venkatesham acknowledged the anger felt by supporters but said the problems had built up over several years. "I wish I could wave my magic wand and fix them overnight, but that is not possible," he said. "Supporters are rightly impatient. So I have to weather that storm."
The club's owners, the Lewis family, published a statement on Wednesday (27) promising to "rebuild" the club and said a repeat of this season "must never happen again".
"We are not selling the club. We are all in. We are investing in it," the statement read.
Venkatesham confirmed the club had raised its wage ceiling ahead of the summer transfer window and said recruiting the right players was now a priority.
"The squad needs work and hasn't got the right balance," he said. "This transfer window, in particular, is going to be critical."
De Zerbi is expected to play a central role in shaping the squad, with the club also holding talks with former Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl over a possible role.
(with inputs from Reuters)
