The money-making machine that is ENIC has an admirable record when one views the Deloitte Money League, but the clues in relation to owners who aren’t very good at running a football club are there to see. One huge giveaway is the lack of trophies; another is the talent drain that sees the mighty Spurs being a selling club. Add to these negatives the rapid turnover of coaches, many of whom have only not won at Tottenham.
These are approximate figures from media reports, often based on leaks or estimates—exact totals aren’t publicly disclosed in club accounts as a single line item, and some include wages earned plus severance. Wherever possible, we have erred on the conservative side.
André Villas-Boas: ~£4.5m
Mauricio Pochettino: ~£12.5m
José Mourinho: £11m–£20m (reports vary; commonly £15–16m)
Nuno Espírito Santo: ~£14m
Antonio Conte: ~£4m (short remaining contract in 2023)
Ange Postecoglou: ~£4m–£8m (reports vary around £4m to £8m for sacking in 2025)
Thomas Frank: ~£8m (recent 2026 sacking, with some estimates up to £18m remaining on deal, but settled around £8m; plus prior £6.7m paid to Brentford for appointment)
The frankly embarrassing number not listed in all this is Tim Sherwood, who received ‘little to no compensation’, which is telling given his stint as caretaker manager was one of the most successful on a points-per-game basis.
A rough total since Harry Redknapp: around £65–80 million (or more if higher Mourinho/Frank estimates used.
Older reports (e.g., 2021) cited £85–90m over a decade, including pre-2012 sackings like Redknapp/Villas-Boas, but focusing post-Redknapp aligns with £50–70m+ in the 2013–2023 period (e.g., £51m cited up to Conte), plus recent Postecoglou (£4–8m) and Frank (~£8m) additions.
Spurs rank high among Premier League clubs for managerial compensation spend (second to Chelsea in some all-time tallies at ~£66.5m since 1992, but updated figures likely higher now).
These costs reflect the club’s instability in the managerial role under ENIC, a pattern often criticised.
Note: Some departures were listed as “mutual” but still involved payouts.
Not just a mess, but a prolonged one.
The ENIC out mob must be having that Mitchell and Webb moment, where one German soldier asks another, “Are we the baddies?”
