Lewis family vow 'deep' change at Tottenham after second successive 17th-place finish

Tottenham Hotspur’s majority owners, the Lewis family, have publicly accepted “ultimate responsibility” for the club’s decline and promised “deep” structural change, following a second successive 17th-place finish in the Premier League that ended with Spurs surviving relegation by just two points on the final day.

In a letter addressed to supporters and released to the Press Association, the family acknowledged their “bitter disappointment” with recent seasons and confirmed that a rebuilding process is already under way, backed by substantial financial investment. “Finishing 17th this and last season does not reflect the stature or potential of this football club,” the statement read. “We know this must never happen again.”

The 2024-25 campaign was one of the most turbulent in the club’s recent history. Spurs cycled through three head coaches across the season before securing a 1-0 victory over Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the final day to confirm their top-flight status.

Fan anger has been directed primarily at Enic, the Lewis family’s holding company, and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. Long-serving chairman Daniel Levy — the club’s primary decision-maker for nearly 25 years despite Enic’s majority ownership — was asked to step down in September following an internal review commissioned by the family.

The Lewis family acknowledged that the scale of the problems they inherited from that review exceeded their initial expectations. “The problems we found were deeper than we realized and were allowed to build over the last few years,” they wrote. “We know that has eroded trust and we have to win that back.”

On the question of ownership, the family were unequivocal: “We are not selling the club. We are all in. We are investing in it. You will see more of this in the coming months.”

Their statement outlined planned investment across the first team, the academy, and backroom operations, framing the rebuild around a return to what they described as the club’s defining characteristics. “Our ambition is to recapture the spirit of the club and bring back the excitement, the fearlessness and the bold football we have always felt defined us,” they said. “That means football comes first.”

The pledge marks the most direct public intervention by the Lewis family since they became majority shareholders, and arrives at a moment when supporter patience with the club’s leadership has reached a low point. Whether the promised changes translate into tangible progress on the pitch will determine how the statement is ultimately judged.