Kieran Maguire: Levy partly to blame for ‘big mess’ at Tottenham as Conte seethes
Tottenham chief Daniel Levy is partially to blame for the Premier League’s insistence to continue despite soaring Covid-19 figures.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the top-flight’s response to the spike in positive cases.
Spurs, like the rest of the Premier League, have suffered with Covid in their camp since the virus’s resurgence in the latter stages of 2021.
As quoted by The Guardian last Monday (27 December), manager Antonio Conte described the predicament as a “big mess”.
Conte said that a recent meeting between top-flight bosses and the league had been like “talking to a wall”, per BBC Sport last month (24 December).
The Premier League have elected to press on with the fixture programme despite many teams being down to the bare bones because of Covid.
Maguire claims that pressure from broadcasters has led shareholders like Levy to back the decision to continue.
“It is being driven by the Premier League’s TV deal and the TV deal is being driven by owners,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“That is why we currently have a very lopsided Premier League. Some clubs have played four fewer fixtures than others.
“Historically, one of the best things about the Premier League is that teams have tended to be on an even keel.
“You might have one or two teams who have played fewer games than others, but that tended to be fairly easily rectified.
“Even the fans are voting with their feet. We have seen attendances down at Spurs, and that is in a city where the stadium is easy to access.”
Tottenham are owned by ENIC Sports and Development, in whom Levy has a 29 per cent stake.
Spurs currently have no confirmed Covid cases and will hope they are over the worst.
In other news, pundit expects Hugo Lloris “news” within days after Tottenham source’s “surprise” update.