Perhaps no figure in professional sports was as maligned as Daniel Levy, and though revisionist history is a fallacy not worth falling into, the loss of a high-profile sponsor and the potential for more to follow have Tottenham Hotspur wondering if they made a mistake.
Tottenham were actually one of the more active teams in the Premier League this past summer transfer window, which is what made Thomas Frank's woeful half-season with Spurs all the more difficult to forgive - and, prior to that, what made Levy's sacking all the more surprising.
Spurs actually dismissed Levy shortly after the transfer window ended. It was a window that included the signing of two legitimate superstar attacking players in Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus, who have gone on to become arguably the most important players on Spurs. Additionally, Levy signed Joao Palhinha, another key starter, on loan from Bayern Munich and signed Mathys Tel from the Bavarians permanently at a rate lower than anyone expected.
All told, it was a successful transfer window by Levy, and certainly much better than what Spurs mustered without him in January. They overpaid out of desperation for Conor Gallagher and literally signed nobody else, ending the window somehow thinner on the wings than before and with no striker depth behind Dominic Solanke.
Tottenham's sponsors have several issues with the club
So while Tottenham fans were blown smoke about more signings and investment without Levy, who was presented as the Boogeyman, it seems as though the Lewis Family were the real problem all along. Meanwhile, the new man in charge, former Arsenal executive Vinai Venkatesham, has been so woefully inept that Spurs were forced to sit on the sinking Frank ship for months simply because the new Spurs brass had no contingency plan for his sacking - a sin so unforgivable that it would have been unimaginable under Levy.
But now, there are serious consequences to the new Tottenham regime that make those promises of new investment seem all the more ridiculous in hindsight. According to reporting from the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law, Tottenham are set to lose millions after the 2025/26 Premier League season ends, because one of their "major" sponsors is pulling out of their deal with the club, citing several issues. And there are other sponsors, per Law, who are also considering ending their relationship wtih Tottenham for the same reasons.
The reasons are legitimate and as follows. Firstly, Tottenham have not proven to the sponsors that they even have a plan for improving their results, which include a 17th placed Premier League finish in 2024/25 and what looks like an even worse finish in 2025/26. Secondly, they are not attracting big enough stars to the club, as evidenced by Antoine Semenyo literally rejecting them before the transfer window started.
There's more, too. The sponsors are also upset with how Tottenham have treated the fans and the angry fan sentiment towards the club's results, pointing to the increasing number of empty seats at the venue. And to the club's leadership itself, Law reports that the sponsors are very discouraged by the lack of communication from both Vinai and the Lewis Family, with some sponsors stating that they have yet to be formally introduced to the new leadership after Levy.
All of this points to serious levels of dysfunction permeating the club that, if anything, are only getting worse without Levy. Although Levy was an unlikable grouch, he was able to get things done and had Spurs competing for something; he was also highly successful financially. Right now, the club is suceeding at nothing and sinking fast, alienating players, sponsors, coaches, the media, and any other stakeholders. Somehow, Levy is missed, which is a statement I never thought I would utter, but it only reenforces just how far the standards at Spurs have fallen - fallen to a low that is almost inconceivable.