Roger Federer is coming back to US Open four years after retirement, set for two blockbuster matches US Open confirmed Roger Federer's return on Sunday, and he will be joined by three other tennis greats Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:25:16 IST Written by Aratrick Mondal Prefer HTon Google Share
Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:09:14 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
After seventh seed Victor Lai fell in three games to ninth seed Alex Lanier at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, the former described the Frenchman as a ‘beast’, lauding his physical fitness and tenacity to go the distance and play the long game
India men’s football team will face Panama in a FIFA international friendly in September, ahead of another friendly against five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil in Kolkata on October 3. According to a report by The Times of India, the match between India and the North American side is
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the running to replace Gianni Infantino, but says he expects a candidate to challenge the Fifa president's leadership in March. Infantino has faced calls to step down after he scrapped a controversial plan to sell off stakes in Fifa's
Spurs needed
Spurs needed 'complete reset', says under fire CEO
Vinai Venkatesham was upbeat when he began his new job as Tottenham Hotspur chief executive last summer.
His outlook quickly changed. To say his first season in charge did not go to plan would be an understatement.
And in a wide-ranging exclusive 50-minute interview with BBC Sport, Venkatesham has spoken about:
Why the club needed a "reset"
Why they kept Thomas Frank for as long as they did
The wrong call in appointing Igor Tudor
The personal abuse he has faced from supporters
Roberto de Zerbi's "extraordinary" impact
The club's recruitment plans
Speaking after a final-day victory over Everton clinched Tottenham's Premier League survival, Venkatesham discussed the emotional strains of a relegation battle that went to the season's closing minutes.
"I think it was just a huge outpouring of relief," said Venkatesham, who said that the club would not have made anyone redundant in the event of relegation.
But obviously feeling relief at the end of the season is nowhere near the standard of the football club.
Venkatesham's first words were praise for the supporters who he says got the team "over the line" in their relegation battle.
But he knows he will need more than words to appease supporters who have turned on him this season.
When Venkatesham started work on 1 June last year, he had high hopes.
"On my very first day, what I thought would be a realistic target for the men's first team would be competing for European places," he said.
Even though Tottenham had just finished 17th under Ange Postecoglou, they had won the Europa League, their first trophy since 2008, while the squad was packed with seasoned internationals.
But reality quickly struck.
"If you'd have asked me a few months after I joined, when I was no longer an outsider, I would have told you the club was in a significantly worse state in some places than I thought," said Venkatesham.
That is absolutely not meant to be a criticism of anyone or anything. It was just what I found. It was very clear that this wasn't some form of turnaround that was required of the club in quite a few areas. It was really a complete reset.
Asked to expand on that, Venkatesham said: "If I had to generalise, I would say on the non-football side of the club, in particular around stadium operations and commercial, that the club was and is really strong.
"I think if you look at the football side of the club, over a timeframe of five years or so, there has just been an explosion in progress across the Premier League.
"I'm not saying that Tottenham didn't improve in that period. But what I can tell you is that when you look at where Tottenham were in many of those areas, compared to where I believe other Premier League clubs are, there was a significant gap. In some areas really quite worryingly so.
"I don't think that there was what I would call a relentless obsession with football success.
"Our training centre is amazing, one of the best, if not the best in the world. But when you look around, it looks more like a five-star hotel than it does a performance environment. That will change over the summer.
I think there are many areas where the club hasn't got the right level of expertise.
It means nothing now, but Frank's ill-fated reign started quite well following his appointment last June. Tottenham lost just one of their opening 10 matches of the season in all competitions.
But when Tottenham finally sacked Frank in February, the only surprise was that it didn't happen sooner.
Indeed, Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange faced heavy criticism from fans for prolonging Frank's tenure for as long as they did.
"There's been plenty of coverage that the club was passive during this period. And that's absolutely not true," insisted Venkatesham.
In weighing up Frank's future, Venkatesham says the club considered results, the probability of the Dane turning their failing season around, concerns changing managers may create in the January transfer window, the fixture calendar and concerns over entering the interim head coach market.
Venkatesham confirmed to BBC Sport that Tottenham tried to entice De Zerbi, who was leaving Marseille, to become the club's full-time head coach after Frank was dismissed.
The Italian, however, was originally unwilling to take the job mid-season, which led Spurs towards making the left-field appointment of Tudor – who left Spurs by mutual consent after just seven games.
"Obviously, we were very disappointed when it became clear that we wouldn't be appointing Roberto on a permanent basis [in February]," said Venkatesham.
"We were then, in the interim market, which is generally not the broadest. There were a number of reasons why Igor was selected: he had managed in very high-profile and high-pressure environments - we didn't want somebody that was going to wilt under that pressure.
"He has a history of making an immediate impact. He has managed in big clubs. He has quite a different personality to Thomas and we felt like something different was needed.
But of course we were really aware he had no Premier League experience. Was it a risk in appointing him? Absolutely.
Asked if he would accept the Tudor appointment was a mistake, Venkatesham responded: "It didn't work out. I think it's very clear it didn't work out. And I don't think that is in question. I don't think anybody would argue anything else."
Former executive chairman Daniel Levy, who left Tottenham in September after 25 years, was generally the target of supporters ire during his long reign.
But since Levy's exit, Venkatesham has attracted increasing anger from irate sections of the fanbase.
Asked if the abuse from supporters has forced him to consider his own role at the club, Venkatesham said: "I understand the frustration around supporters. I think Tottenham supporters have been frustrated for some time. This is two 17th-place finishes in a row.
"It's clearly not good enough. I think that is rational, normal, sensible, and, is what we would expect from supporters.
"The club had some serious challenges that it needs to address on the football side. We know what those are. We are addressing them. We are fixing them. Those challenges have not disappeared overnight.
"They built up over many years. I wish I could wave my magic wand and fix them overnight, but that is not possible. It takes some time to fix those issues.
So I have complete confidence in what we're doing, how we're doing it. But supporters are rightly impatient. So I have to weather that storm.
On dealing with intense criticism from fans, Venkatesham - who previously worked for Arsenal - added: "It's not easy. You have to develop a thick skin.
"I'm helped by the fact that I've been in football for a while, for the last 15 years, so it's not new to me.
"It's a game of opinions, and I have absolutely no problem with being criticised. I've got no problem what anyone in the game being criticised, it's just part of the job.
The challenge in football is that that criticism frequently goes way past the line for players, referees, executives.
Speak to those behind the scenes at Tottenham, they will tell you that De Zerbi's impact has been profound.
Not only in picking up 11 points from seven games to preserve the club's top-flight status, but his growing influence is instilling belief in the squad.
"I think he has made an extraordinary impact so far," Venkatesham said.
"We have to recognize that it's early days, and we also need to recognize that he's come into a very specific situation.
"It is hard to underestimate the scale of the challenge he walked into. And it's hard to describe what a significant impact he has had in the dressing room with all the players.
I think he's an excellent coach, and we think that he plays the style of football that our supporters and the broader football public want to see.
De Zerbi is expected to have full involvement in the club's recruitment this summer.
Tottenham have held talks with Borussia Dortmund's departed sporting director Sebastian Kehl, while Venkatesham confirmed the club have raised their wage ceiling in the hope of attracting top-quality players.
"The squad needs work and the squad hasn't got the right balance," he said.
"We need experience and leadership and also that kind of physical robustness to play in the most demanding league that exists.
We need to strengthen the club over multiple transfer windows but this transfer window, in particular, is going to be critical.
Source: BBC
Related Posts:
Barcelona began their La Liga title defence with a commanding 5-0 victory over Elche on Sunday, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring twice each and Anthony Gordon setting up two goals on his debut. The result comea a day after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-1 with a late winner
11 hours ago
GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 09:43:17 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link St. Louis
11 hours ago
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin may have been vocal in his demand for the current FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down but he has no interest in replacing the under-fire Swiss. Infantino continues to face pressure to leave his position as world football’s governing body chief following
11 hours ago
The French are known for a lot of things but badminton isn’t one of them. Till Sunday, when the country that has never been considered among the top nations even in Europe created history at the 2026 World championships, in more ways than one
11 hours ago
AITA picked them, the government cut them: Why has India’s Asian Games tennis squad been slashed from 12 to 7? The AITA had originally proposed a 12-member squad for for the Asian Games, which included six women. But the list was slashed down to just seven players. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026
11 hours ago
Ashton Jeanty injury update: Is the Raiders RB out for the season? Doctor reveals possible diagnoses; ‘best case…’ Ashton Jeanty was injured after attempting a catch, prompting a tense silence at the Raiders’ facility before his teammates gathered and knelt in prayer. Updated on: Aug 24
14 hours ago
When Liverpool came to Newcastle last August, there was utter jubilation as Rio Ngumoha scored a remarkable 100th-minute winner. They scored late again this time around, through Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty, but it felt more like a sense of relief than joy as they rescued a point
14 hours ago
'Is Sydney Taylor playing tonight?' Chicago Sky guard's slow start vs Fever sparks injury concerns Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 07:32:12 IST By Ojas Jaiswal Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
14 hours ago
Yet again, the England men's cricket team is picking through the wreckage of a late-night misdemeanour. The latest stain on the game's reputation is a result of pictures of fast bowler Brydon Carse in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers outside a nightspot in Derby
14 hours ago
Jean-Philippe Mateta is arguing the remainder of his Crystal Palace contract is invalid and has taken his case to Fifa. Multiple sources have told BBC Sport the France international has launched an official challenge over the validity of the final 10 months on his Selhurst Park deal
1 days ago
Bangladesh 64: Starc 6-12 & 95: Shanto 31; Starc 4-39, Cummins 3-10, Lyon 3-25 Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match as Australia bounced back from last week's shock defeat by Bangladesh to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs and draw the series 1-1. Second Test
1 days ago
Jannik Sinner's absence benefits Carlos Alcaraz: What to expect from the US Open champion after his long injury layoff Jannik Sinner is out, but is it premature to call Carlos Alcaraz the US Open favourite after four months away? Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
US Open leaves Stan Wawrinka out in the cold, denying former champion a wild card for his final Grand Slam The US Open has surprisingly denied Stan Wawrinka a wild card for what could be his final appearance at a Grand Slam. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
India faced the Netherlands in their Pool E match of the ongoing FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 on Saturday (August 22) at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen but suffered a 1-3 defeat. India conceded one goal in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter to go down against the hosts
1 days ago
There is an uncanny resemblance between Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s bronze-medal run at the 2011 BWF World Championships and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s campaign at the 2026 edition. Jwala and Ashwini faced the second-seeded Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin as early as the
1 days ago
Runs on the board and rival wickets, is the template that Dhananjaya de Silva will chase when the second Test commences at the SSC Ground on Sunday (August 23, 2026). “It’s about putting runs on the board. That’s what India did [at Galle]. For the first two days they batted and got 460 runs
1 days ago
Serena Williams returns to US Open after four years, joins Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles Serena Williams will return to the US Open for the first time since 2022, partnering Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles after receiving a wildcard. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
Roberto De Zerbi may have spent close to £400m by the time his Tottenham Hotspur rebuild is complete – but it took just his side's first Premier League game of the season to prove all the money in the world is no guaranteed cure for a losing mentality
1 days ago
Manchester United's fans had endured a bad enough day on the banks of the River Humber when Hull City's stadium announcer gleefully piped up midway through the second half. Two trains back to Manchester from the city centre station had been cancelled
1 days ago
From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:08:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
2 days ago
Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:17:58 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Aberdeenshire , Shubhankar Sharma ended his streak of four missed cuts as he made the
2 days ago
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi has been fined for slapping Philadelphia Union's Quinn Sullivan during their side's Major League Soccer (MLS) 2-2 draw on Wednesday. Messi, 39, slapped Sullivan around the back of the head towards the end of the game as he complained the Union player had elbowed him after
2 days ago
Premier League champions Arsenal will start the new season with some of the nightmares of the previous two as their marquee signing, midfielder Bruno Guimarães, is not part of the squad due to an injury. Guimarães signed for £75 million (Rs. 979 crore) from Newcastle United and suffered a knock
2 days ago
Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground. He would have remembered his last Test played at the same venue in 2001, a game India lost. The Indian spin-bowling coach, though, quickly immersed himself in the nets here Friday (August 21, 2026)
2 days ago
Lionel Messi fined for slapping opponent on the head as Inter Miami-Philadelphia clash erupts into late red-card chaos Lionel Messi was fined by MLS after slapping Philadelphia's Quinn Sullivan on the head as Inter Miami's 2-2 draw desecended into stoppage-time chaos. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026
2 days ago
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra managed to deliver his season’s best performance at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday but fell agonisingly short of the top spot, as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage finished first with a throw just nine centimetres more than his
2 days ago
Why did Nick Chubb retire? Net worth in focus as NFL player ends career at 30 Nick Chubb played for eight seasons in NFL that included seven years with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Houston Texans. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026, 09:25:09 IST By Shirin Gupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
2 days ago
