Tottenham, just like their Champions League opponents Ajax, are much loved around the world’s football media.
That two clubs, playing good football, have managed to get to the competition’s semi-finals on very small, and often negative, budgets is pleasing. In an era with ridiculous spending on the increase, it’s a different way of doing things and seen as a lesson to some of those who throw piles of money at problems.
This week’s edition of France Football has an interview with David Ginola, and the former Tottenham player fully backs the way the club has been run in recent seasons.
Ginola told the French magazine that no other club in the Premier League can match Spurs when it comes to getting the most out of their resources, and explained: “Rather than enlisting so-called glamorous and over-expensive recruits, I prefer the current politics. Rely on a solid defence and make the necessary efforts to retain their best elements, such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, who are in great demand. Similarly, the club gave Son (Heung-min) time to grow.”
Not only has this seen the club able to invest less money, but Ginola believes it’s also helped Tottenham retain their identity at a time others are losing theirs: “Tottenham relies on training and has many English internationals. The foreigners, starting with the captain Hugo Lloris, participate in this collective spirit and are stamped with the soul of the club.
“The club already had an ultra-advanced training centre. By taking possession of his new stadium, which is a total success, a modern and larger version of White Hart Lane, they have just changed dimension. And it has not yet reached its fullness… It is the reward of a cautious and atypical policy of Daniel Levy, who knew not to go too fast, keeping the soul of the club, and who does not spend not without counting.”
That’s all great, and it has worked, but Tottenham fans would probably like some spending this summer, and Mauricio Pochettino will feel he deserves backing.
