Tottenham Hotspur avoided a major setback on Sunday, beating Everton 1-0 to stay in the Premier League. The club finished just two points above the relegation zone. Chairman Peter Charrington called the season a “disaster” narrowly avoided and admitted standards had “fallen well short.”

Tottenham, one of Europe’s richest clubs and a Premier League “Big Six” member, had not faced such danger since 1977. A 17th-place finish last season was seen as a one-off, softened by a Europa League title. This year, injuries offered limited explanation for another poor domestic campaign.

Spurs entered the final round in real danger, sitting just outside the bottom three. West Ham’s win over Leeds could not change Tottenham’s fate once De Zerbi’s side secured victory. The late-season surge under the new coach brought three wins from the last five matches.

Midfielder James Maddison credited Roberto De Zerbi, hired in late March, with saving the campaign. “Without that appointment,” Maddison said, “disaster could have maybe struck. But it did not.” He added he was “really happy for the manager who came in and steered the ship clear.”

Boardroom reset and “uncomfortable truths”

The close escape followed deep boardroom changes. Long-time chairman Daniel Levy left in September, five months after Vinai Venkatesham arrived as chief executive. Charrington wrote that during this “full reset,” the club had “taken its eye off the ball” and allowed key Spurs qualities to fade.

Charrington said the club found “uncomfortable truths” about its recent direction. He wrote that Tottenham’s football style, ambition, and bond with supporters “had been allowed to fade.” He admitted, “Football success had not been driving our decisions,” accepting responsibility for recent decline.

Ownership stance and rebuild plans

In his open letter, Charrington listed five commitments to fans. He said Spurs “will invest across multiple transfer windows to rebuild, balance and strengthen” the squad for De Zerbi, who has a five-year deal. The focus will be on long-term squad stability and performance.

Charrington also addressed speculation about a sale. “Let us be direct. Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale. The Lewis family are wholly committed to this club and to this rebuild,” he wrote. He said they view support as “a long-term responsibility, not a short-term fix.”