Tottenham have acknowledged that football success was no longer the driving force behind the club’s decisions, as non-executive chairman Peter Charrington penned an open letter to supporters admitting the club’s shortcomings and pledging a fundamental overhaul.
The club scraped through with a 1-0 victory over Everton on the final day of the Premier League season, finishing 17th for the second consecutive year. Charrington described the campaign as falling “well short” of what was expected and admitted that, in his words, something seismic had to change.
“Last September, we recognised that something seismic had to change at Spurs,” wrote Charrington, who joined the board in March 2025. “The Lewis family stepped in and authorised a full reset. That decision was not taken lightly, and it came later than it should have.”
That reset coincided with the departure of Daniel Levy after nearly 25 years as executive chairman, with sources indicating the move was taken to prioritise sporting performance. Charrington said the review uncovered “some uncomfortable truths.”
“The qualities that make Spurs distinct — our football, our ambition, the connection between the team and its supporters — had been allowed to fade,” Charrington wrote. “Football success had not been driving our decisions. We did not have the right expertise in key roles. We did not build squads good enough to compete in the most demanding league in the world.”
Charrington attended Sunday’s season finale at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium alongside Vivienne Lewis, representing the family owners, her son-in-law Nick Beucher, and finance officer Matthew Collecott. Under manager Roberto de Zerbi, Spurs needed a point on the final day to avoid their first top-flight relegation since 1977, and a third home league win of the season was enough to send West Ham down in their place.
Charrington confirmed that the club has restructured its football operations, with new executive and football staff already in place and further appointments expected in the coming weeks. He expressed full backing for De Zerbi, who signed a five-year deal upon his arrival in March.
“He represents the kind of football and ambition that Tottenham should stand for,” Charrington said, describing the Italian manager as the right figure “to build back to where we need to be.”
The remarks follow praise from players James Maddison and Conor Gallagher, who credited De Zerbi with saving the club from relegation. De Zerbi was the club’s third manager of the season, following Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor.
“Without that appointment, disaster could have maybe struck, but it didn’t and he takes a lot of credit for that because of the work he’s done behind the scenes and on the training pitch,” Maddison said.
Gallagher added: “From the first day or two he had everyone under his wing. Everyone trusted him instantly and everything he was doing — it was like ‘thank God he’s come in’ straight away.”