Tottenham confirm Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange futures as transfer vow made | OneFootball

Chief executive and sporting director are hugely unpopular figures among the fanbase after back-to-back 17th-placed finishes

Spurs narrowly avoided relegation on Sunday, the final day of the season, by beating Everton in what was just their third home league win of the entire campaign. It saw the club finish one place outside the relegation zone in back-to-back seasons, a staggering collapse from a team who had previously finished outside the top six just twice in 15 years.

The finger of blame has been pointed by some at Venkatesham and Lange, along with the Lewis family, who ousted long-time chief Daniel Levy last September. Minutes after the club secured their Premier League survival on Sunday, fan group Change for Tottenham protested against the Lewis family, and the club board.

Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange

PA

In an open letter to supporters, Peter Charrington, non-executive chairman, said the ownership are “committed to this leadership group and will give them the stability and support they need to run this club in the right way”, though confirmed that new appointments were incoming.

One notable new arrival will be in the form of a new sporting director, to work alongside rather than replace Lange, with Sebastian Kehl the name heavily linked.

Charrington, in his open letter, repeatedly underlines the need for stability and a long-term commitment, and that will start with this summer’s transfer window.

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi on Sunday after beating Everton said a maximum of 12 players from the current squad are “good enough” to stay, clearly stating a desire to transform the squad. Transfer interest in experienced defensive pair Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson is real and could become the first two new arrivals of a busy summer.

Charrington outlined a five-point plan to get the club “back were we belong”, which includes building a squad “with the right blend of experience, youth and leadership”, backed being investment “across multiple transfer windows to rebuild, balance and strengthen, with this summer representing an important first step in that work.” Similar investment will be made in the academy and women’s team.

Charrington has thanked the fans, who he describes as being “built different” for their support this season, and says, in De Zerbi, the club now have a manager with the ambition to match the club’s moving forward, and again underlined how the club is not for sale.

Peter Charringron and Vinai Venkatesham

REUTERS

The open letter read: “On Sunday, despite a season that gave you so little, you gave everything. A full stadium, full voice, full belief, until the final whistle. I have thought carefully about how to begin this letter, and in the end that moment said it better than I can. It is why we owe you honesty about where we have fallen short, and what we are committed to now.

“Last September, we recognised that something seismic had to change at Spurs. The Lewis family stepped in and authorised a full reset. That decision was not taken lightly, and it came later than it should have. But what has been put in motion is real, and it marks a genuine break from what had come before.

“As part of that process, we discovered 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. 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. Two 17th place finishes in a row is not acceptable, and we will not dress it up as anything other than falling well short of what this Club expects.”

He added: “There has been speculation about ownership and the future direction of the Club. Let us be direct. Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale. The Lewis family are wholly committed to this Club and to this rebuild. They will provide the stability and investment needed at every level to move us forward, and they see that as a long-term responsibility, not a short-term fix.

“This season fell well short of what Tottenham Hotspur demands. We must be in the fight with the best teams in this league, every season, and we are rebuilding this Club with that standard in mind.

“This Club lives in the hearts of everyone who has ever loved it. It has been carried through living rooms and stands, weekends and long journeys home.

“We will get back to where we belong.”