Paul Robinson responded to Todd Kline’s departure from Tottenham to Chelsea by defending his confidence in the club’s leaders.
On 5 February, the Telegraph reported that the American was leaving as the club’s commercial director because he had failed to secure a deal for the rights to the name of the new stadium.
Spurs have sent the former Miami Dolphins man on gardening leave, after which he is expected to head to Stamford Bridge, where he is expected to play a “major role” in plans for their stadium.
However, Robinson, a commentator for BBC Sport, believes that any restructuring at Tottenham will benefit the club and believes that the departure is not a major blow for the north London club.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: ‘It’s a move I didn’t know about. I don’t think it affects the playing side of the club very much and I don’t think Ange and his players will waste too much time worrying about it to be honest.
“From the point of view of the club, you trust the people who run it. The naming rights for the stadium have been on the table for a long time, but the deal hasn’t been done, no matter whose doorstep it lands on.
“If the club restructures internally, it can only be to its advantage.”
Todd Kline is expected to join Chelsea when his gardening leave at Tottenham expires.
Kline is leaving Chelsea for Tottenham:
The Telegraph reported that there had been a lot of staff turnover in Kline’s department, and those who left did not necessarily have jobs to move to, suggesting that there was not complete unanimity at the club during his time in charge.
And although he has secured other sponsorship deals, it is hard to overlook the fact that the glitzy stadium still has no guaranteed rights, so this could be seen as another unusual move by Chelsea rather than a particular loss for Spurs.
While the club has been praised on the business front for overtaking Chelsea and is expected to draw up a succession plan, it is still what happens on the pitch that has the biggest impact on the rivalry between the two London clubs.