Vision means Tottenham winning the game
Vision means Tottenham winning the game
Unveiling the Playbook: The Off-Field Game That Spurs On-Field Triumphs
Hey there, Spurs faithful, it's Clive of THBN once again to brighten what would otherwise undoubtedly be a dull day.
One sentence and I can guarantee I've enraged one reader already, great start!
Let's go for another, only those with a winning mentality can see a winning mentality, the rest see what Alasdair Gold sees, nothing.
In my recent series bringing you a tack of players Spurs are following, I have had to explain to one why they are different players!
Utterly incredible, presumably they think clubs only follow a few immediate transfer targets, that's not the real world.
That's a generalisation but the point is some people read something, some people absorb it.
Some people read what I write and some people take their time to fully understand it, to absorb it, to think about it.
There is a big difference in the two approaches and naturally engagement with one section would be more stimulating than explaining everything in detail to the other group.
Did you read, absorb and really think about the two articles below?
6 things Spurs fans can learn from Ange Postecoglou's Aston Villa press conference and The Crucial Value of a Coaching Manager, they are not the bog standard news regurgitation articles
Today is another article that requires you to properly think for yourself.
Right, gather around the THBN campfire because we're diving deep into the off-field spectacle that's become just as crucial as the nail-biting action Tottenham have produced on the pitch since the Premier League came into being.
You see, in today's football landscape, success isn't just about what happens during the 90 minutes.
It's about the business behind the beautiful game, and Tottenham Hotspur is at the forefront of this grand play.
Sir Alex Ferguson said on a TV program that "you have to have a successful business before you can have a successful team," but some fans still don't understand this and thus the last 20 years, they still live in the outdated world of being illegally funded by Sugar Daddies.
Everton fans are up in arms that they can't recklessly and unsustainably, just rack up huge losses chasing clubs that have had the foresight to build businesses to pay for their football in the manner Tottenham Hotspur under Daniel Levy has.
Let's talk about the big guns – the Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Barcelona of the football world and the Premier Leagues Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and our North London rivals.
Yes, they might not be splashing as much cash as we're used to seeing, but they've mastered the art of pulling in all-important global attention.
This is the kingpin of commercial revenue.
Two sentences to absorb, think about and fully understand, not just read.
It's a journey Spurs are embarged, not just through football, but concerts and a variety of sporting events including the NFL when a franchise eventually comes to London, as it inevitably will.
How did they do it? Well, it was all about a little thing called UEFA Champions League certainty.
In Spain, Germany, and Italy, clubs have a smoother ride to the UEFA Champions League.
Less competition means more guaranteed European nights and that's a big-ticket item for sponsors and investors.
Fans can argue it's not a trophy, but without it, you have little chance of winning one.
Money talks.
To a club with a desire to win things, the Premier League Top 4 is more important than winning something.
Think about that for a minute.
Some of these European clubs might not be swimming in cash, but their consistent presence on the European stage gives them an edge that even stacks up against the Premier League's financial giants when it comes to 'pull' in the transfer market.
There are two players, those who aspire to Champions League football and those playing for money.
Which would you rather have?
One has the motivation and mindset, one is in it for themselves.
Champions League football talks in the transfer market, then money, which to an extent levels up the playing field of potential signings.
The Deloitte Football Money League, 2024: Ranking the richest clubs in the world by revenue.
- €831M: Real Madrid (LaLiga)
- €826M: Manchester City (Premier League)
- €802M: PSG (Ligue 1)
- €800M: Barcelona (LaLiga)
- €746M: Manchester United (Premier League)
- €744M: Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
- €683M: Liverpool (Premier League)
- €632M: Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
- €589M: Chelsea (Premier League)
- €533M: Arsenal (Premier League)
- €433M: Juventus (Serie A)
- €420M: Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
- €385M: AC Milan (Serie A)
- €379M: Inter Milan (Serie A)
- €364M: Atletico Madrid (LaLiga)
- €294M: Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
- €289M: Newcastle United (Premier League)
- €275M: West Ham United (Premier League)
- €268M: SSC Napoli (Serie A)
- €258M: Olympique Marseille (Ligue 1)
Cue the UEFA financial regulations update.
It's not about clubs having the fattest wallets; it's about being financially savvy.
- 2009 €1.6 billion losses across top European divisions
- 2018 €140 million profit
- Covid €7 billion losses
"The [new] regulations will ensure that all clubs will have to be stable, solvent, and keep their costs under control," state UEFA.
Surely that is sensible, not it seems to football fans on social media, who would sell their mother to win a trophy, just to feel good.
Pretty sad.
Those new rules are the playbook for financial sustainability.
The Premier League have similar profitability and sustainability rules that Everton fell foul of.
Indeed the Premier League wants to align itself more in line with UEFA.
In France, clubs submit their accounts annually, have to break even and explain how they are going to meet this if they are falling short or they don't get a license to play the following season.
I have long said the Ligue 1 approach should be adopted throughout Europe and if that means some clubs are excluded from European competitions, so be it.
UEFA and the Premier League want clubs to build equity, invest in infrastructure, and think long-term.
That's exactly what Daniel Levy has been doing, building Tottenham over time, on the business side, to be in a position where the club can consistently challenge for trophies.
Which other mid-table club, which Spurs generally were, has been doing the same over that time?
A normal mentality wouldn't do that, indeed they haven't.
A winning mentality with a long-term vision would, indeed has.
It's not about a quick cash injection; it's about creating a stable foundation for future success.
Daniel Levy has been running the club how it should be run, how the authorities want clubs run.
The noose is tightening around those clubs who don't and clubs who haven't had the foresight that Daniel Levy has and are crying "it's not fair" as a result.
UEFA Squad Cost Controls
The new UEFA cost control rule, applicable to anyone who wants to play in Europe, restricts spending on players, 1st team manager, 1st XI coaching team wages, transfer fees, agent fees and presumably, although it's not mentioned, signing on fees and golden handshakes, to 70% of club revenue.
- 90% in 2023/2024
- 80% in 2024/2025
- 70% in 2025/2026
Tottenham have €194m less income than Man City, thus annually City can spend €135.8m more than Spurs on players etc.
A rather significant amount.
Imagine the cost implications of sacking a coach and paying compensation to another club to employ a new one?
You're not going to waste £50m on that, £50m you then can't spend in the transfer window.
Does this mean shorter contracts or managers staying longer at a club and, therefore, having time to build instead of the instant success demanded by supporters?
Hark at our fans.
Ange Postecoglou has only just started building the team, yet our fans are already complaining that Tottenham are not the finished article sweeping everyone aside!
So, when you see Spurs making strategic moves off the pitch – securing lucrative sponsorship deals, expanding the stadium, getting a tie-up with the NFL, introducing alternative income streams from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and investing in youth development – it's not just about business or extending the Tottenham Hotspur brand into new markets; it's about securing our spot among Europe's elite for years to come.
What Daniel Levy has done and is achieving for Spurs, has and is, going over the heads of many I'm afraid, but put simply, he is the best chairman in the Premier League.
In the grand scheme of things, it's a balancing act.
Spurs might not have the sheer financial firepower of some European counterparts, but we've got the hustle, the ambition, and a game plan that's about more than just the next transfer window.
It's about building a legacy that stands the test of time.
Next time you're cheering at the Lane (yes, we can still call it that, just don't tell Daniel Levy) or watching from afar, remember there's a whole world of strategy behind those tackles, saves and goals.
The off-field game is just as crucial as the on-field magic and Tottenham Hotspur is playing it with the finesse and certainty of a Harry Kane penalty.
Here's to the future, to glory on and off the pitch – because at Spurs, it's about more than just winning games; it's about owning the whole beautiful game.
Regards
Clive of the #1 Spurs blog THBN
COYS
1 comment
an excellent appraisal of 'the Plan', and Mr Levy and the board should be given credit for consideration of the local community and the benefits the club can engender with the planned hotel also to be added with expected possible jobs and revenue to local businesses as well as the club. We should not forget the way the stadium has also been used in the recent years. This is all being achieved whilst moving this great club to even greater heights.