Opinion: How Paul Barber’s Spurs exit may have been Levy’s biggest mistake

Daniel Levy joined Spurs as part of the ENIC consortium in December 2000. He was initially a board member, but after two years, he became the Chairman of the club.

In 2005, Levy appointed a special talent with an incredible vision for the future and a comprehensive understanding of economics. Before joining Spurs, Paul Barber had previously worked for the English Football Association (FA) and modernised its marketing and profit intake. 

Barber was made the first-ever marketing director for the FA, and throughout his time, he enhanced his skills in football economics. He also took on the role of managing where the FA Cup and Community Shield would be played while Wembley’s restoration was being constructed.

Barber was the perfect candidate for the role of Executive Director and was given the reins of the commercial operations of the club. This was a similar job to what he had at the FA, but on a more extensive basis (Tottenham Hotspur).

In 2005, Spurs were starting their return to challenging for European football, and they needed multiple streams of revenue to do this.

Spurs and Barber did just this, and in the 2006/7 season, Spurs had two new sponsors debut. Puma was to be the kit sponsor, and the gambling brand Mansion would be the primary shirt sponsor (Tottenham Hotspur).

Barber guaranteed Spurs some fantastic deals with multiple companies but his work may have flown under the radar in this role due to its limited impact on the football aspect of the club.

Nevertheless, Barber was technically savvy in his understanding of the game, and by 2009, he had outgrown his position. Barbers would then look for a new chapter in a higher-ranking position. 

Paul Barber could be Daniel Levy’s biggest mistake

Barber’s next place of work was in Canada, where he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Whitecaps. At the time, the club was just starting out as a new franchise, and Barber was the perfect man to lead them into the future.

Using his skills in forming and closing deals that he obtained at Spurs and the FA he was able to secure a place for the White Caps in the MLS just two years after its formation.

Not only did Barber secure them divisional football, but he also oversaw their move to their renovated home, BC Place (Vancouver White Caps). 

Barber resigned after two prosperous years in Vancouver, where he oversaw their establishment and helped craft their future. He then ventured back to Europe and arrived in Brighton in May 2012.

As the CEO, his presence created an instant impact, and Brighton finished fourth in the championship, this was a vast improvement on their 10th-place finish in the previous season.

Since then, Brighton have come on leaps and bounds, with improvement in almost every season since his arrival. Their pioneering transfer policy has transformed the club and pushed them into the limelight. When Barber joined Brighton, there was a shift in the way they did business.

Instead of signing big names or former stars, they looked into analytics to find the best young players for their system.

The ‘Money Ball’ system that Barber implemented worked flawlessly for Brighton, and slowly but surely they built a squad that challenged year after year in the championship. In 2017, Brighton gained promotion into the Premier League, and they haven’t looked back since.

Once promoted, Brighton struggled for the first three seasons, but the appointment of Graham Potter changed everything. Brighton rapidly started to climb the table, and in 2021/22, they broke into the top ten.

One of Barber’s many talents is planning ahead and adapting. In the summer of 2022, Brighton lost one of their brightest stars in Bissouma. This didn’t faze Barber or Brighton, as they brought in Moises Caicedo. What was meant to be a replacement turned out to be a full-fledged star who had offers upwards of £60 million in the transfer window (Fabrizio Romano).

Brighton also lost their manager in September and, once again, Barber had a replacement lined up, leading to Roberto De Zerbi being appointed.

De Zerbi has not only kept Brighton at a high level, but he has also improved them, playing even better, more attacking football than the season prior. Brighton had a stellar season and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history.

There is no coincidence that Brighton’s spectacular rise from the Championship all the way to Europe came after Barber’s arrival.

The man has not only changed the way Brighton is run but also how other teams in Europe do their business. His work for the last 17 years has gone largely unnoticed, and he has finally received his flowers. In December 2022, he was awarded an OBE.

There is no doubt that Spurs made a harrowing mistake with the management of Barber, they had one of the best football brains at their disposal and let him walk away.

Nevertheless, Barber has gone on to do great things in the world of football, but the frustration that Spurs had this hidden gem and didn’t utilise him is frustrating, especially after the dynasty he has built at Brighton.

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