An optimistic Vinai Venkatesham took over as Tottenham Hotspur CEO last summer. However, reality quickly verified his expectations. In an interview with BBC Sport, Venkatesham touched on a number of important issues regarding the club, including the need for a "reset", the retention of Thomas Frank and the wrong decisions regarding the appointment of Igor Tudor. He also talked about personal attacks from fans and Roberto de Zerbi's extraordinary influence on the team.
After the win over Everton that kept Tottenham in the Premier League, Venkatesham described the emotional strain of fighting for survival until the final minutes of the season. “It was a huge feeling of relief,” he admitted, noting that the club had no plans to cut jobs in the event of relegation.
Tottenham's owners, the Lewis family, issued a statement in which they promised to rebuild the club and regain its spirit, emphasizing that this season's situation must not repeat itself. “This requires investment – in our teams, academy, facilities and more – and we are fully committed to this process,” the statement read.
Venkatesham, who started work on June 1 last year, had high expectations at the beginning. “At the beginning I thought that the real goal for the men's first team would be to fight for European places,” he said. Although Tottenham finished the season in 17th place, they won the Europa League, their first trophy since 2008.
However, the reality turned out to be different. “Truth be told, when I stopped being an outside observer, the club turned out to be in worse shape than I expected,” Venkatesham confessed. “It wasn't a matter of minor tweaks, but a complete reset.”
He emphasized that although the club is strong in terms of operations and marketing, it is far behind the competition in terms of sports. “Our training center is fantastic, but it looks more like a five-star hotel than a working environment,” he added.
While former chairman Daniel Levy was the main target of fan criticism, following his departure it was Venkatesham who became the target of fan frustration. "I understand the fans' frustration. We finished 17th twice in a row, which is unacceptable," he admitted.
Venkatesham also appreciated De Zerbi's influence as he helped the team gain 11 points in seven games to stay in the league. "He's a great coach and I think he plays the style our fans want to see," he said.
Tottenham is in talks with Sebastian Kehl, former sporting director of Borussia Dortmund, and Venkatesham confirmed that the club has raised the salary cap to attract the best players. "We need experience, leadership and physical strength to play in the most difficult league in the world. We need to strengthen the team in several transfer windows, but this is crucial," he added.
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