08/09/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | SEPT 8, 2025

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The costly mistake behind Levy’s fall

SON HEUNG-MIN scored one goal and set up another to spark South Korea’s 2-0 victory over the United States in an international football friendly yesterday at Harrison, New Jersey, in the home stadium of MLS’s New York Red Bulls. The South Koreans advanced through Asian qualifying to next year’s World Cup, to be co-hosted by the Americans, Canada and Mexico. Son scored in the 18th minute and Lee Dong-gyeong added another in the 43rd to secure South Korea’s triumph against a US side coached by Mauricio Pochettino – Son’s former boss at Tottenham Hotspur. South Korea improved to 4-2 with two drawn in the all-time rivalry against the US men, winning their first meeting since a US home triumph in 2014. The Americans, it was another dispiriting setback for a team that has failed to gain momentum with the World Cup looming. “It’s a team that’s coming together,” US midfielder Pochettino shocked FORMER Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was shocked by the news of the Premier League club’s executive chairman, Daniel Levy, stepping down after nearly 25 years in the role. “I am a little bit in shock, because he was my former president. I don’t know what happened there,” United States manager Pochettino told reporters on Saturday. “Of course, I sent a text to him, and I sent a text to different people that were very close to him, and still no answer. “I don’t have more information and only what I want to say (is) I wish him the best in his life, family, time. And yes, I was in shock like many (people) that really know him.” Pochettino was in charge of Spurs from 2014 to 2019, transforming them into perennial top-four Premier League contenders while guiding them to the Champions League for the first time, where they finished runners-up to Liverpool. He was fired five months later, but the 53-year-old Argentine has previously said he remained on good terms with Levy. “We can’t forget our relationship now. Then was a very important period in our careers and for the club also,” Pochettino added. – Reuters

didn’t know how to go and make a big blockbuster deal happen. The debate around Levy has always been binary, which is all too fitting for an official who has always brought it down to the numbers. That applied to the prioritisation of the top four over silverware, the number he would always demand in any transfer deal, the wage ratio, the record revenue, and the trophies. The last accounts showed a revenue of £528.4m, already up £209.8m from Mauricio Pochettino’s launchpad season of 2015-16. And yet, amid a wage-to-turnover ratio of just 42%, Levy’s chairmanship only produced two trophies. On finally winning the second, that Europa League in May, Levy excitedly spoke about that victory being the launchpad for more. He certainly didn’t sound like someone who was about to leave, either in the aftermath of that or his revealing recent interview with Gary Neville. “We want to win the Premier League. We want to win the Champions League. We want to win.” Spurs may now do so without him. And, if they do, it might well be put down to this decision. – The Independent Ex-chief executive’s 24-year tenure brought financial gains and world class facilities but limited success on the pitch

I N an email to Tottenham Hotspur staff, where new chief executive Vinai Venkatesham acknowledged that Daniel Levy’s departure would come as “a shock to all of you”, while insisting that “it is very much business as usual”. Such sentiments were undercut by the very fact that some people were stopped in their tracks, as well as the messages from elsewhere in the club. Spurs, it has been insisted, will no longer be so much about business. They’re going to be about “sustained sporting success”. This was the primary reason that the Tavistock Group, under the ownership of the Lewis family, took the decision out of Levy’s hands. They wanted change. There had also been an awareness of fan unrest. Vivienne Lewis, one of the younger generation heading up the Lewis Family Trust, is now seen as an influential figure. “Business” in short, will not be the same again – and the impact may reach beyond Spurs. The longest-serving chairman in the Premier League, and a central figure in its political and economic structures, is gone. That is more consequential than it sounds. Many of the most senior executives in football, some who would

consider themselves friends of Levy, were stunned. Multiple such sources spoke of how they’d heard of growing tension at the top level of Spurs, that had been bubbling away for years between Levy and previous owner Joe Lewis. A lingering tension came across loud and clear in a statement given by the family to Sky News . “Generations of the Lewis family support this special football club and they want what the fans want – more wins more often. This is why you have seen recent changes, new leadership and a fresh approach. “In Vinai (Venkatesham), Thomas (Frank) and Peter Charrington, they believe they are backing the right team to deliver on this. This is a new era.” If so, the last acts of the old era were a series of insufficient bids for forwards. Some Premier League figures had long tired of doing business with Levy. “You did a deal once and you never wanted to do it again,” in the words of one source. His previously fearsome reputation in negotiations had long faded. It had even been noted how Spurs were finally willing to spend big money, from new investment, but it was like they didn’t know how to; as if they

Son stars in South Korea’s win over USA

BRIEFS

USA’s Alex Zendejas (left) and South Korea’s Lee Kangin vie for the ball during their international friendly match. – AFPPIC

‘City return will feel strange’ BELGIUM midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said yesterday that a return to Manchester City later this month in the colours of his new club Napoli will be a strange sensation. De Bruyne, 34, left City at the end of last season when his contract was not renewed and joined Napoli, who visit the Etihad Stadium for their Champions League group opener on Sept 18. “I’ve only played two matches in Serie A. It’s different under manager (Antonio) Conte than the years under Pep Guardiola,” De Bruyne told reporters ahead of Belgium’s World Cup Group J qualifier against Kazakhstan. “My first impression is that it’s more tactical in Italy and things move a bit slower. But it’s still football. I played other systems before while at Manchester City,” he added, fielding more questions about his club career than the World Cup clash. “We’re playing against City in Manchester with Napoli soon. That’s going to be strange. City is my club and that’s not going to change,” De Bruyne added. Double blow for PSG PARIS ST GERMAIN forward Ousmane Dembele faces about six weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while winger Desire Doue will be out of action for around four weeks due to a calf problem, the European champions said. They suffered the injuries during France’s 2-0 victory over Ukraine in the World Cup qualifiers in Poland on Friday. Doue was replaced by Dembele at halftime, only for the 28-year-old to later limp off in the 81st minute. “Ousmane Dembele has suffered a serious injury to his right hamstring. He is expected to be unavailable for around six weeks,” PSG said in a statement yesterday. “Also picking up an injury during the encounter, Desire Doue suffered a strain in his right calf and will be out for around four weeks.” PSG will next be in action when they host Lens in Ligue 1 on Sept 14, followed by the start of their Champions League title defence against Atalanta three days later.

to improve upon. “For us it’s about keep going and keep building that team chemistry.” Berhalter said: “They are a good team that’s playing really well together. They know each other really well and they have quality. If you make little mistakes they are going to punish you.” Son was replaced by Oh Hyeon gyu in the 63rd minute as both sides made multiple lineup changes. “We were better than South Korea, but if we don’t finish the plays, it’s complicated,”Pochettino said.“We created chances, controlled the game, but conceded goals in ways that shouldn’t have happened. “Despite the result, we’ve improved since the Gold Cup with a different group of players, and we have to be positive.” That will come against Japan in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, when Mexico will take on South Korea in Nashville, Tennessee. Elsewhere, Japan and Mexico drew 0-0 yesterday in a friendly at Oakland Coliseum as both countries prepare for the 2026 World Cup. – AFP

Sebastian Berhalter said. “We have different pieces that are just trying to figure out how to play with each other. We still have things

Salah-inspired Egypt can seal World Cup slot by beating Burkina Faso LIVERPOOL star Mohamed Salah could this week become the second African football icon after Achraf Hakimi to ensure his presence at the 2026 World Cup in North America. up from 32 at the last edition in Qatar three years ago. before Egypt play, if they win in Equatorial Guinea tonight (9pm). A surprise home loss by Namibia to Malawi has left them seven points behind Tunisia.

Salah converted a penalty in a 2-0 win over Ethiopia in Cairo on Friday, and Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush also scored from a spot kick to maintain a five-point lead over the Burkinabe. Burkina Faso crushed 10-man Djibouti 6-0 the same day with recent Brentford signing Dango Ouattara atoning for missing a penalty by scoring twice, including from another spot kick. This will be the first time the Stallions play in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou, during the 2026 World Cup campaign. Group H leaders Tunisia will become the second qualifiers after Morocco from Africa, a day

DR Congo lead Senegal by one point ahead of a Group B showdown in Kinshasa, and Cape Verde have a similar advantage over Cameroon in Group D. Hosts South Africa can stretch a Group C lead over Nigeria to nine points by beating them, while away wins for Ivory Coast over Gabon in Group F and Algeria against Guinea in Group G would virtually seal qualification. Mali were seeded to win Group I, but a loss away to leaders Ghana would end their hopes of topping the table. – AFP

Salah will captain Egypt against Burkina Faso in a top-of-the-table African zone Group A qualifier on Wednesday (12.01am Malaysian time), and a win for the Pharaohs will guarantee finishing first with two matches to spare. Paris Saint-Germain star Hakimi helped Morocco become the first African qualifiers at the weekend when they scored five unanswered goals after Niger were reduced to 10 men by a red card in Rabat. The nine group winners in Africa qualify for the World Cup, which will feature a record 48 nations,