Tottenham Hotspur chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has admitted the club required a “complete reset” following a turbulent season that ended with Spurs narrowly avoiding Premier League relegation.
In a revealing interview with BBC Sport, Venkatesham opened up on Tottenham’s difficult campaign, managerial decisions, fan criticism and the club’s plans for a major rebuild under new boss Roberto de Zerbi.
Spurs secured survival with a final-day win over Everton, bringing relief to a season that fell far below expectations.
“I think it was just a huge outpouring of relief,” Venkatesham said. “But feeling relief at the end of the season is nowhere near the standard of this football club.”
The Lewis family, owners of Tottenham Hotspur, also issued a statement promising significant investment across the club after what they described as an unacceptable season.
“We are not selling the club. We are all in,” the statement read.
“This will require investment — in our teams, the academy, our backroom functions and more — and we are fully committed to this.”
The ownership group admitted the club had lost its way and vowed to “recapture the spirit” of Tottenham.
Venkatesham, who joined Tottenham last summer after leaving Arsenal, said he quickly realised the problems at the club ran deeper than expected.
“When I arrived, I thought competing for European places was a realistic target,” he explained.
“But after a few months, it became clear the club was in a significantly worse state in some areas than I thought.”
The Spurs CEO pointed to major shortcomings on the football side of the club despite strong commercial and stadium operations.
“I don’t think there was what I would call a relentless obsession with football success,” he admitted.
“Our training ground is world-class, but in some ways it feels more like a five-star hotel than a high-performance environment. That will change.”
Venkatesham also acknowledged that appointing Igor Tudor after Thomas Frank’s dismissal ultimately proved to be the wrong decision.
Frank endured a disastrous campaign despite a promising start, and supporters heavily criticised Spurs for delaying his sacking until February.
Tottenham initially attempted to appoint Roberto de Zerbi on a permanent basis after Frank’s departure, but the Italian was unwilling to join mid-season.
That led Spurs to appoint Tudor on a short-term basis, although the Croatian lasted just seven matches before leaving by mutual consent.
“Was it a risk appointing him? Absolutely,” Venkatesham admitted.
“It didn’t work out. I don’t think anybody would argue anything else.”
Despite arriving in extremely difficult circumstances, De Zerbi has already made a strong impression at the club.
The former Marseille manager guided Spurs to safety by collecting 11 points from seven games and has quickly won over players behind the scenes.
“He has made an extraordinary impact,” Venkatesham said.
“It’s hard to describe the effect he has had in the dressing room. He’s an excellent coach and plays the type of football our supporters want to see.”
De Zerbi is expected to play a major role in Tottenham’s summer rebuild, with Spurs already exploring multiple recruitment options.
Venkatesham confirmed Tottenham are preparing for a major squad overhaul this summer and admitted the current squad lacks balance, leadership and physicality.
“The squad needs work,” he said.
“We need experience, leadership and physical robustness to compete in the Premier League.”
Tottenham have already held talks with former Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, while the club has reportedly increased its wage structure to attract higher-level talent.
“This transfer window is going to be critical,” Venkatesham added.
Venkatesham also addressed the growing criticism he has received from sections of the Tottenham fanbase throughout the season.
“I understand the supporters’ frustration,” he said.
“Two 17th-place finishes in a row is clearly not good enough.”
While admitting the criticism has been difficult at times, he insisted he remains fully committed to leading Tottenham through the rebuilding process.
“You have to develop a thick skin in football,” he added. “Supporters are rightly impatient, but fixing these issues takes time.”
