Latest news with #DonnaCullen
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Ange Postecoglou was right man to lead Tottenham forward
The temptation is to say that now Levy will be under pressure. That this time he has raised the stakes. Except that was said every time he pushed a manager out the door. Whether it was Pochettino after his transformational effect on the club, or Mourinho six days before a Carabao Cup final. In that respect nothing ever changes – Levy just sails onwards. He makes what he will describe in a statement as a hard but necessary decision and then a few years later he says the same. Postecoglou gambled everything on winning the Europa League – not just his reputation but the league season too. He did that as injuries engulfed him and also amid the strong sense that alternative coaches were being sounded out. Indeed, there was not a significant word of support from Levy in the crucial final weeks, and that too has an effect on a manager and the relationship with his players and the club's support. Yet Postecoglou pulled it off. Imagine what might be possible with some solidarity. Levy hedged his bets, even dragging out his decision until 16 days after the final in Bilbao and was generally expected to go into next week until Telegraph Sport broke the news of Postecoglou's departure on Friday. By then, with not a word from the club, it had become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The manager had been damaged by the club's failure to back him, and therefore the manager had to go. There feels like change coming at Spurs, with the departure of Donna Cullen – the director who was Levy's closest aide at the club. Vinai Venkatesham has been dropped in as the new chief executive. Yet while Levy is in place one can only assume that the same man is running the club. That is, unless those who control Joe Lewis's majority stake feel differently about it. For Postecoglou, there is a lot to be said for going out this way – with the Europa League in his grasp, and the gratitude of the supporters. He will find himself considerably wealthier on Saturday morning and also with a reputation enhanced. He answered a lot of the questions about his tactical flexibility in the last rounds of the competition and especially the final when United failed to hide their weaknesses as well as Spurs did theirs. Whatever the next Spurs manager achieves, he cannot win the club's first trophy in 17 years. Postecoglou will be due a slice of any future success – having broken the streak and changed the sense of what is possible. His successor will also know that the key to longevity at the club can be confusing. Is it finishing in the Premier League top five places to qualify for the Champions League? Is it winning knockout competitions? Or is it winning knockout competitions that earn qualification for the Champions League? Postecoglou saw Spurs' first trophy in 17 years as the most effective agent for change and went all out to win it. For Levy, one suspects league position is everything. Now he has the benefit of Uefa's Champions League funds he certainly has a better hand to deal to Postecoglou's successor. Although the next man will know that, when things start to go badly, he will be on his own.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Daniel Levy faces £4m compensation bill to sack Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy will face a compensation bill in the region of £4 million if he decides to sack Europa League-winning head coach Ange Postecoglou. And that would be on top of the £2 million bonus Postecoglou earned for ending Tottenham's trophy drought and guiding Tottenham into next season's Champions League. Postecoglou still has two years remaining on his Tottenham contract and it is understood the terms of his exit before that date were agreed prior to his appointment two years ago. It is understood that Postecoglou has now returned to England from holiday and will soon be provided with clarity over his future. Telegraph Sport reported in April that Postecoglou had been heading towards the Spurs exit regardless of whether his team won the Europa League. Tottenham's victory over Manchester United in the final and the resulting celebrations put Levy under huge pressure and left him with one of the toughest decisions of his long reign. The price of replacing Postecoglou, should he decide to do so, could cost well over £10 million in total given that appointing his successor could also land Levy with a compensation bill. Brentford's Thomas Frank is among the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou, along with Fulham's Marco Silva. Telegraph Sport this week reported that Tottenham are facing the biggest shake-up of the Enic era, with Levy's right-hand woman Donna Cullen and first-team coach Ryan Mason already confirming their exits. It is anticipated that those departures will be two of many, with Postecoglou waiting to hear if he will be sacked, chief football officer Scott Munn's future in doubt and questions arising over Matthew Collecott's role as operations and finance director. Vinai Venkatesham started work as chief executive officer this week and he has already advertised for a business operations lead to work under him. Sources believe the shake-up, which is expected to be far reaching, could be the prelude to fresh funds being pumped into the club by Enic, who are keen to remain in control of Tottenham, or in the form of outside investment. Enic provided £122.1 million in owner funding since their 2001 takeover to June 2024, the equivalent of just £5.3 million per season. The majority of that came from a £97.5 million share issue in May 2022, which had initially been announced as being worth up to £150 million. Since Enic's £97.5 million share issue, a total of 13 English clubs received more owner funding, while the owners of Tottenham's rivals Aston Villa have poured over £600 million into the club since their takeover in 2018. Enic did invest £35 million in the club in January, but Levy made it clear that Tottenham will not spend money they do not have with the club's net transfer debt standing at £279.3 million. Even with Champions League qualification and £200 million-worth of profit and sustainability rules headroom, that would put Spurs in the position of needing to sell to buy this summer without investment from Enic or elsewhere.
The Irish Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Daniel Levy's right-hand woman LEAVES Tottenham as summer shakeup begins with Postecoglou's future also in doubt
TOTTENHAM executive director Donna Cullen has announced her departure from the club. Cullen had been on the Tottenham board for almost 20 years before stepping down. 1 Donna Cullen has announced her departure from Tottenham Credit: PA During that time, she became a close confidant of Daniel Levy. Cullen said: "This has been such a hard decision to make. The Club has been my life for the past three decades. "I have had the privilege of working with Daniel, whose vision and energy has driven the Club forward, and so many talented and wonderful colleagues. "It has been quite some journey, starting at White Hart Lane, with a brief stay at Wembley and finally our new home - amazing memories home and away. "Ending this season with the Europa League Trophy was a dream come true. "The time is now right for me to gather more time for myself and my family, whom I thank for all their support over the years. "I shall spend the coming months ensuring there is a smooth handover with my staff. Thank you all. I wish everyone at the Club all the success in the world." Meanwhile, Levy said: "Donna has made an immense contribution to the Club, over an extensive period. Her diverse responsibilities grew significantly and replacing her roles with a single individual will be impossible. Most read in Football "While many may associate her primarily with marketing and communications, Donna's impact extends far beyond those areas. Notably, her leadership and political acumen at planning committees, was instrumental in the Club being able to build one of the finest stadiums and training centres in the world. "She deserves recognition for the contribution she played in the formation of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which has positively impacted countless individuals in our communities, and in establishing the London Academy of Excellence, providing children with exceptional educational opportunities. "Donna has pushed the conscience of the Club to be at the forefront of environmental and diversity initiatives. She also played a crucial role in supporting the amateur part-time Spurs Ladies, enabling the development of our professional women's team. "Her daily input will be greatly missed, however she fully deserves to take time for herself, and I know that we shall be able to call upon her advice when needed. We wish her well for the future."
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Daniel Levy's right-hand woman LEAVES Tottenham as summer shakeup begins with Postecoglou's future also in doubt
TOTTENHAM executive director Donna Cullen has announced her departure from the club. Cullen had been on the Spurs board for almost 20 years before stepping down. 1 During that time, she became a close confidant of Daniel Levy and worked as his deputy. However, the executive director has now left the club to spend more time with her family. In a statement released on Monday morning, Cullen said: "This has been such a hard decision to make. The Club has been my life for the past three decades. "I have had the privilege of working with Daniel, whose vision and energy has driven the Club forward, and so many talented and wonderful colleagues. "It has been quite some journey, starting at White Hart Lane, with a brief stay at Wembley and finally our new home -amazing memories home and away. "Ending this season with the Europa League Trophy was a dream come true. "The time is now right for me to gather more time for myself and my family, whom I thank for all their support over the years. "I shall spend the coming months ensuring there is a smooth handover with my staff. Thank you all. I wish everyone at the Club all the success in the world." Meanwhile, Levy said: "Donna has made an immense contribution to the Club, over an extensive period. Her diverse responsibilities grew significantly and replacing her roles with a single individual will be impossible. "While many may associate her primarily with marketing and communications, Donna's impact extends far beyond those areas. Notably, her leadership and political acumen at planning committees, was instrumental in the Club being able to build one of the finest stadiums and training centres in the world. "She deserves recognition for the contribution she played in the formation of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which has positively impacted countless individuals in our communities, and in establishing the London Academy of Excellence, providing children with exceptional educational opportunities. "Donna has pushed the conscience of the Club to be at the forefront of environmental and diversity initiatives. She also played a crucial role in supporting the amateur part-time Spurs Ladies, enabling the development of our professional women's team. "Her daily input will be greatly missed, however she fully deserves to take time for herself, and I know that we shall be able to call upon her advice when needed. We wish her well for the future."
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Daniel Levy's right-hand woman Donna Cullen to leave Tottenham
Daniel Levy's right-hand woman Donna Cullen has stepped down from the Tottenham Hotspur board and is to leave the club in the first of a number of anticipated summer changes. Cullen has been on the Tottenham board since 2006 and has been considered Levy's closest confidant in recent years. A trustee of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Cullen has received criticism from fans over recent years as part of the protests against Levy. The news is yet to be confirmed by Tottenham, but staff have been informed of the decision in an email that has been seen by Telegraph Sport.
