It had long been assumed that Daniel Levy’s authority at Tottenham as club chairman was so overarching that he would always determine the timing of his own departure. Yet Thursday’s dramatic and sudden confirmation he was stepping down quickly shattered that illusion.

Levy, 63, was appointed to the post in March 2001, going on to establish himself as one of the most respected administrators in football. Today, Spurs boast one of the finest stadiums in the world and a state-of-the-art training ground so luxurious former head coach Jose Mourinho once waxed lyrical about the “huge pillows” in the on-site bedrooms, comparable in his mind to a 6-star hotel.

That is Levy. His attention to detail was unrivalled, reflected in the stunning Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with its retractable pitch and in-house microbrewery. He is a man of little sleep and unrelenting standards.

Spurs elevated themselves to join what has become known in the Premier League as the traditional “Big Six,” forging a reputation for financial sustainability in an era of increasingly irresponsible and irrational spending.

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With ENIC boss Joe Lewis — ENIC is Tottenham’s majority owner — often willing to take a back seat, Levy’s stewardship extended far and wide. He oversaw the hiring and firing of managers, kept tight control of the purse strings and, of course, presided over transfers where, despite the arrival of various recruitment experts like Fabio Paratici or Johan Lange, Levy still remained a hugely influential figure in assembling the squad.

But over time, that combination of Lewis’ distance from the day-to-day business and Levy’s high level of control made him a target for supporters frustrated about the missing piece of the jigsaw, undoubtedly the most important one: success on the field.

#LevyOut would periodically, but consistently, trend on X. Tottenham matches would often be accompanied by the awkward soundtrack of dissent. In January, disgruntled fans produced a banner during a 2-1 home defeat to Leicester City — who would win just twice more for the rest of the season and later be relegated — which read: “24 years, 16 managers, one trophy: time for change.”

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Despite the turmoil, Spurs went on to win the second trophy of Levy’s tenure in May when Tottenham beat Manchester United in the Europa League final. Manager Ange Postecoglou was sacked 16 days later as the triumph failed to mask a dreadful 17th place finish in the Premier League, and a summer of change at many levels has seen senior figures at the club leave, a new CEO appointed and Thomas Frank replace Postecoglou as head coach.

However, Levy’s departure is the most seismic shock yet. ESPN examines how it happened.

The club’s existential crisis

Who are Tottenham, and what sort of club do they want to be? Last season distilled a long-running existential crisis into a single-issue debate: how much do you want to win a trophy?

Looking at a squad ravaged by injury and a Premier League campaign already slipping through his fingers, Postecoglou took the decision around late January to prioritise the Europa League above all else. It was a decision that was both vindicated in one sense and yet, at the same time, cost him his job.

Postecoglou delivered Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years. Fans lined the streets to greet their triumphant team with an open-top bus parade and a manager who had survived months of speculation over his position to deliver unexpected silverware. Yet he was sacked because Levy felt the trophy came at too high a price. Spurs suffered 22 league defeats on their way to finishing 17th. The club statement accompanying Postecoglou’s departure made pointed references to a desire to “compete on four fronts,” with more expected of an expensively-assembled squad.

According to Transfermarkt, Tottenham’s net spend in the past five years is €653m — a figure only surpassed by Manchester United (€782.9m) Arsenal (€772.8m) and Chelsea (€743.5m). And yet, Capology has Spurs’ wage bill at £109.8m — the sixth-highest in the division and almost half what Manchester City are paying.

That conservative — or, looked at another way, pragmatic and financially responsible — approach to wages led supporters to feel some players have chosen not to join Spurs because of their inability or reluctance to match wages being offered elsewhere. Nobody at Spurs earns more than around £200,000-a-week — a fine salary, but if you’re pursuing the Premier League and Champions League trophies, your rivals are simply paying more.

Fan frustration at a failure to break the “cycle” Postecoglou referred to focused squarely on the chairman, especially as north London rivals Arsenal passed them by under Mikel Arteta. But there was also internal pressure on Levy.

Sources have told ESPN that a sporting review at Tottenham was carried out by an external consultancy firm at the start of 2025. This led to unprecedented scrutiny around Levy’s running of the club. Significantly, Peter Charrington — a director at ENIC — was appointed to the Tottenham board in March as that scrutiny intensified.

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Shortly afterwards, Vinai Venkatesham was named as the club’s new chief executive. Sources close to that decision insist Levy was a key figure in convincing Venkatesham to join, and the pair enjoyed a friendship dating back to Venkatesham’s time as an Arsenal executive. The dynamic also changed a little: Venkatesham increasingly took charge of day-to-day operations, while Levy focused on bigger-picture issues relating to future strategy.

Levy then lost Donna-Maria Cullen, his close confidante and fellow board member, after her departure was announced in June. The pair were seen together during Tottenham’s preseason tour to Hong Kong and South Korea, with Cullen only formally ending her role on Monday, just three days before Levy’s fate was confirmed.

Charrington has taken over from Levy with the Lewis family circulating the idea a change was necessary to ensure more consistent success on the pitch. But there was more going on behind the scenes.

Takeover talk

It has been one of the worst-kept secrets within football that Tottenham have been open to the idea of, at the very least, attracting fresh investment, but even potentially selling the club for some time. Spurs have always publicly denied this.

Sources have told ESPN those conversations have been going on for several months, with multiple interested parties from various places including the Middle East and the United States. People familiar with the situation say some within the club have been frustrated by the lack of progress in these talks and felt Levy’s approach was a contributing factor. They even suggest the delay became one point of tension between the Lewis family and Levy.

When this was put to a source close to the Lewis family, ESPN was told that the family are committed to the club on a long-term basis, and are not looking to sell.

Lewis’s daughter Vivienne, his son Charles and grandson-in-law Nick Beucher — co-CEO of Tavistock Group, the private investment company which is the majority shareholder of ENIC, Spurs’ owners — have been more visible around the club of late. Vivienne is regularly seen at matches and sits on the Tavistock Group board. Charles is Senior Managing Director of Tavistock Group, while Beucher holds an MBA and Master’s degree in sports business management.

“Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want — more wins more often,” said a source close to the Lewis family, adding that there is a need for the club to establish a new hierarchical structure at the club to achieve that aim.

Charrington is a director of ENIC and a long-term trusted adviser to the Lewis family after spending 26 years at Citibank, although his sporting background is minimal.

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Spurs confirmed upon Levy’s exit that there were no further accompanying changes to the ownership of the shareholder structure of the club. ENIC own 86.58% of Tottenham, and Levy owns 29.88% of ENIC, though it remains to be seen whether the club does indeed invite fresh investment in the months ahead. Finance experts value Spurs in the region of £3.5bn, perhaps even higher, and it is not difficult to assume the path to new investment could be clearer following recent changes.

Assessing Levy’s legacy

Anyone who walks up Tottenham High Road and enjoys a game at the club’s home ground has Levy to thank for the experience. It has been established as one of the world’s best multi-use venues with concerts and F1 events a regular fixture, and will provide a major source of revenue for years to come.

The lead architect used to joke that Levy never slept. “We would arrive somewhere at two in the morning, talk for a few hours, then he would say ‘we have a meeting in three hours,'” Chris Lee, managing director of Populous, said shortly before the £1billion arena opened in April 2019. “It has been a great experience, trying to strive for perfection.”

Despite the frustration at a lack of consistent success, fans also have sporting memories: the 2008 League Cup win, the 2019 Champions League Final run, the 2025 Europa League triumph. But ultimately, he will remain a divisive figure in the club’s history, especially with so much of the frustration aimed in his direction still fresh in the minds of many supporters.

Perhaps the man himself summed it up best. Speaking last month in a rare interview, Levy said: “I think it’s one of those situations [in which] when I’m not here I’m sure I’ll get the credit. When you come here and look at this wonderful [stadium], and the fact that other clubs are now trying to copy what we’re doing, that should be a sign that maybe we did do something bold, and something right.”

Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/46165724/daniel-levy-tottenham-exit-explained-analysis-james-olley

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Photo by Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images

Source: https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/local/starting-xi-previews/2026-fifa-world-cup-qualifier-starting-xi-lesotho-v-south-africa

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Two Chicago Stars, Ludmila and Sam Staab, earned National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) August Best XI of the Month honors, presented by Amazon Prime, the league announced today.

Ludmila headlines the NWSL’s August Best XI of the Month as Player of the Month. The Brazilian came out of the NWSL break in top form, wrapping up August scoring five goals from her six shots on target, despite accumulating just 0.99 expected goals off her attempts throughout the month. Ludmila played a crucial role on Chicago’s attack in August, contributing at least one goal in three of the team’s last five come-from-behind draws and recording the fastest hat trick in league history (10 minutes, 9 seconds).

While Ludmila antagonized defenses, Staab stopped offenses in their tracks throughout August. Playing every minute of the month’s matches, Staab added four blocks, 24 clearances, 27 recoveries to her season statistics, ranking her seventh overall in the league in clearances (100) and ninth across the league in blocks (12). Staab also averaged an 81.81 percent passing accuracy in August, never recording a single-match passing percentage below 78 in that time.

Together, Ludmila and Staab were a dream duo for Chicago in August. The two exhibited an unstoppable connection August 22 specifically, coming together to put away two of Ludmila’s three goals. After the Stars found themselves down 0-2, a heads-up pass from Staab found space between North Carolina Courage defenders and Ludmila received the pass before dancing around defenders and slotting the ball into the back of the net. Five minutes later, Staab gave fans déjà vu, sending another long ball to Ludmila, who outpaced North Carolina’s defense again to put away the equalizer for Chicago. After the Courage netted a third, Ludmila grabbed a second match-tying goal to finish off the first ‘perfect’ hat trick in the NWSL and pull a point back for the Stars.

Fans can see Ludmila and Staab in action again this weekend when Chicago Stars FC takes over the North Shore for the club’s Wintrust Lakefront Faceoff. The September 7 match will pit the Chicago Stars against the Orlando Pride at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. For more information and tickets visit chicagostars.com/tickets, or to place a Season Ticket Membership deposit, please visit starsnextchapter.com.

The full August NWSL Best XI of the Month, presented by Amazon Prime, can be found below:

Goalkeepers: Jordyn Bloomer (LOU)

Defenders: Sofia Huerta (SEA), Izzy Rodriguez (KC), Kayla Sharples (KC), Sam Staab (CHI)

Midfielders: Kenza Dali (SD), Jess Fishlock (SEA), Taylor Flint (LOU)

Forwards: Temwa Chawinga (KC), Esther Gonzalez (GFC), Ludmila (CHI)

The NWSL Best XI of the Month, presented by Amazon Prime, is selected by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league consistently, and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent. Awards for the month of August are based on performances during regular season matches.

Source: https://chicagostars.com/first-team/ludmila-and-sam-staab-named-to-national-womens-soccer-league-august-best-xi/

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Mary DiFonzo, they return a young talent in Lily Hanna, who will step up in a leadership role for the team this season. Hanna burst onto the scene during her freshman year, tying for the team lead in goals (9), assists (2), and points (20) during the season. She got her goal scoring started righ away, netting a goal in her collegiate debut against Lincoln and helped the Cardinals go 3-4-1 in games where she scored at least one goal. For her efforts, Hanna would earn Second Team All-MEC honors, as well as a spot on the conference’s All-Freshman squad. As she heads into her sophomore campaign Hanna is looking to better last season’s numbers even further and lead the team back to the MEC Tournament. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals return a veteran group of goalkeepers in net, with senior Samantha Faulkner leading the way. Faulkner would appear in eight games for the Cardinals last season, making 35 saves while holding a .629 save percentage. She will be joined by redshirt sophomore Deetya Satyal, who returns from last season’s team, and senior transfer Akyla Walcott, each looking to make an impact in net. On the backline, the Cardinals return center back Ainslie Reuben, who helped guide a Cardinals team that held opponents to just over two goals per game last season. The defense willbe a critical part to the team’s success in 2025, as they look to push the ball forward to their strikers throughout the year. 

As they head into the 2025 season, the Cardinals were picked as the #5 team in the MEC North Division, after they earned the #4 seed a season ago. With back-to-back non-conference games to open the season, the Cardinals will be tested right from the get-go as they get ready for their 2025 MEC Schedule. Both teams will be brand new opponents for the Cardinals as they test some of their young talent that have made an impact through the spring. HEad Coach Ryan Wall has been excited about his young team’s play through the spring and the early preseason, with several of the team’s new recruits making an impact. They look to translate that preseason scccess into success on the field during the regular season as they chase down an MEC Tournament spot. 

The Matchups 

Florida Southern College: The Cardinals and Mocks will be meeting for the first time in program history when they match-up on Saturday. Florida Southern College is a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) where they went 5-7-5 overall and 1-5-4 in SSC play during the 2024 season. They are led on the defensive end by redshirt junior goalkeeper Carly Brodsky, who is coming off a year where she had a .588 save percentage. The Mocks are a fairly young team on the field and the Cardinals look to match up with them on Saturday. 

Lourdes University: The Cardinals and Gray Wolves will be meeting for the first time in program history when they face-off on Sunday. Lourdes is one of the top NAIA schools in the region, finishing the 2024 season at 13-4-1 overall and making it to the semifinal round of the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC). Wheeling will look to make a spalsh in the opening match-up in program history as they look for a sweep in the opening weekend of play. 

The Details 

Kick-off for the weekend opener against Florida Southern College on Saturday is scheduled for noon at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE. 

Source: https://wucardinals.com/news/2025/9/5/womens-soccer-womens-soccer-opens-2025-with-back-to-back-weekend-contests.aspx

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Source: https://www.postbulletin.com/sports/prep/boys-soccer-results-for-thursday-sept-4-2025

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Photo by Vincent Kimto/Gallo Images

Source: https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/international/african-football/2026-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-cameroon-keep-world-cup-dreams-alive

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Soccer-Poland on the money as Cash fires home equaliser

SOCCER-WORLDCUP-NLD-POL:Soccer-Poland on the money as Cash fires home equaliser

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -Poland fullback Matty Cash fired home a late equaliser to ensure his side held the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier, a major boost to their hopes and a dent to Dutch ambitions.

A thunderous right-footed shot from the English-born defender in the 80th minute was as much as Poland deserved after a strong second-half performance, having been a goal down at halftime at the Feijenoord Stadium.

The Netherlands and Poland now share top place in Group G with seven points each, although the Dutch have played one game less.

Coach Ronald Koeman had identified Poland as the key team to beat in the group, and his side looked on course to do so after Denzel Dumfries put them ahead in the 28th minute.

The hosts were the early aggressors.

Tijjani Reijnders’ strike from outside the Polish penalty area took a slight deflection before coming back off the upright in the 12th minute, followed shortly after by an effort from Dumfries that was blocked by Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, with the ball then rebounding off Nicola Zalewski and back onto the woodwork, before being gratefully snatched up by the keeper.

The opening goal came from an in-swinging corner high to the back post that saw Dumfries come around the back unmarked to head home.

Poland could have pulled one back before the break had Sebastian Szymanski, who regularly played in the stadium during his time at Feyenoord, not glanced wide his header from Zalewski’s cross.

They kept up their positive approach in the second half and made the Dutch look distinctly uncomfortable before a series of passes across the face of the home goal saw Cash given space to crack home a powerful strike into the top corner.

“I was saying before the game that I really like playing in this stadium, last time I played here I scored and today I was dreaming of the same thing,” Cash told TVP Sports.

“But it was a team performance, the way we defended, Holland obviously controlled the ball a lot and we knew that we had to defend well and the boys were amazing. Obviously I’m happy with the goal but it was the overall performance, the grit and determination we showed.”

The Poles had 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski back in their side after refusing to play in June when previous coach Michal Probierz replaced him as captain, but he was ineffective with little sight of the ball.

The Dutch had been hoping Memphis Depay would get opportunities to move ahead of Robin van Persie as the national team’s leading scorer but while he had several half chances, a 51st goal proved elusive and was substituted with 12 minutes left.

“Disappointment prevails,” Koeman admitted on Dutch television. “I wasn’t calm towards the end. You know you have to score a second, otherwise they always get one or two chances. That’s painful, especially when you see how that goal came about.”

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

• Poland
• Rotterdam
• Netherlands
• Netherlands

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Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/football/soccerpoland-on-the-money-as-cash-fires-home-equaliser-101757022178065.html

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