Tottenham Chief Fires Bold Shot at Man City, Labels Them 'Biggest Threats'

Tottenham Chief Fires Bold Shot at Man City, Labels Them 'Biggest Threats'

Tottenham Hotspur's chairman Daniel Levy shared his perspective on Manchester City's ongoing legal disputes with the Premier League during a candid discussion covering multiple subjects.

City faces allegations of over 100 violations of the Premier League's financial rules in a landmark case that will significantly impact English football's future landscape. Pep Guardiola's team was initially charged in February 2023, though a final decision isn't anticipated until October at the earliest.

Levy, whose Tottenham is known for prudent financial management, cautiously addressed this legally sensitive matter during a recent conversation with Gary Neville on The Overlap. "I believe it would be quite inappropriate for me to comment on another Premier League club," the Spurs executive stated initially.

"What I will say is that there's an ongoing process that I feel has dragged on excessively. For the benefit of football, it needs to reach a resolution either way."

City is simultaneously involved in another legal confrontation with the Premier League concerning the league's Associated Party Transaction (APT) regulations. These rules were essentially implemented to stop clubs from creating artificially inflated sponsorship deals with organizations they partially control.

Pep Guardiola

The former English champions, primarily owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's vice-president, continue their contentious exchange with the Premier League over these regulations, which they consider anti-competitive and violating public law standards.

Levy showed greater confidence in supporting the Premier League's position when this topic arose. "One of the most significant dangers involves related party sponsorships," the Tottenham chairman cautioned. "This area requires strict oversight because when clubs are state-owned, which I don't oppose, they can arrange deals with themselves, giving them unfair competitive advantages over everyone else. This matter demands attention."

The polarizing executive emphasized that Spurs achieved their status as the world's ninth wealthiest club without external financial backing.

"Looking at our achievements, we haven't had anyone injecting hundreds of millions into the club - we've accomplished everything independently," Levy stated with pride. "We've been innovative and grown our revenue streams to compete at the highest level possible today."