Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is “suffering a lot” as he tries to deliver the new stadium.
The Spurs chief has been widely criticised by supporters for setting an unreasonable time frame on the 62,000-seat arena and a series of delays mean it is now three months behind schedule.
Pochettino explained that Levy is totally consumed by delivering Spurs’ new stadium and believes he deserves immense credit for the arena the club will unveil next year.
“The chairman is suffering a lot,” Pochettino said, as quoted by the Evening Standard. “He is so tired about work. The last few months he didn’t sleep because he is trying to deliver the stadium.
“He is trying to make everyone happy but it’s a massive project. I think people don’t realise the magnitude of the project and how difficult it is to manage everything.
“That is why I think he needs to feel the love from the fans and the club. He is working so hard, too hard, to leave a legacy forever.”
OPINION
Levy is not a man who invites or courts sympathy. He doesn’t get much, either. Or, genuine affection from those who follow the club. Tottenham fans love their manager and most of the senior players integral to the transformation of the team into an established Champions club. But many regard Levy as an all-powerful, controlling, overly cautious pen-pusher whose ambition will only extend as far as ensuring healthy annual profits for the main shareholders. They happen to be Levy himself and his long-standing boss Joe Lewis, the Bahamas-based billionaire who has trusted the lifelong Spurs fan to run the club for the last 17 years. The new stadium will, of course, be Levy’s great legacy, a monument to his drive and willingness to take tough decisions for the greater good. When it is complete and hosts its first match, his stock is never likely to be higher. For 24 hours, at least.