Daniel Levy ‘suffers’ for Tottenham and fans, says Mauricio Pochettino
• Manager confirms chairman was ‘very tough’ during his contract talks
• ‘He is one of the best [club] presidents in the world,’ says Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino says of Daniel Levy, above, the Tottenham chairman: ‘In his position it’s always difficult to be kind to everyone. But the job he has done is fantastic.’ Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino has offered rare insight into the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, and managed to reinforce arguably his best-known trait. When Pochettino
moved to White Hart Lane in the summer of last year he negotiated directly with Levy over his contract as he does not have an agent. The experience was demanding.
“It was very tough, and he won,” Pochettino said, with a smile. “I negotiated with him and now I am very strong. I don’t have an agent. He offered the contract and I say yes or no or I want more. He has a reputation as a very hard businessman? It’s true. I can feel that.”
Pochettino knew Levy had employed nine managers over the previous 13 years and
he expected to encounter a fearsome character. But the picture painted by Pochettino is of a sensitive man who cares what the fans think of him and who suffers.
“It was a big surprise when I met Daniel,” Pochettino said. “Before, all I heard was that he sacked managers and he was very tough. Face-to-face he is very friendly and he has been very kind with me.
“The way that he suffers for Tottenham, for his club, for the fans – he is very sensitive in that but sometimes it’s difficult to show that to the media and our supporters. It’s very difficult to manage a big club like Tottenham and, in his position, it’s always difficult to be kind to everyone. But the job he has done is fantastic.”
Pochettino’s team are flying after a club-record 13 Premier League games without defeat and he says there is harmony behind the scenes, with him and Levy, for example, working together on transfers. The head of recruitment, Paul Mitchell, who followed Pochettino from Southampton last November, is also a key part of the process.
“We share everything, all the decisions, and we have very good communication,” Pochettino said. “We are involved in the decisions to sign players and this is a very good thing because I feel good and he feels good. We have people behind us that feel important for the club too. We are a unit.
“For me, it’s unfair when Daniel gets criticised because people sometimes don’t have all the information. Look at how the club is today – the training ground, the new stadium, the whole project. I can only praise him. He is one of the best presidents in England and the world.”
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/04/daniel-levy-tottenham-fans-mauricio-pochettino