Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, has blamed the Spurs’ new stadium and the COVID-19 pandemic for the club’s loss of sight of key priority and DNA.

In a lengthy end of the year message to the fans on Wednesday, Levy informed the fans that the club is in search of a new manager, vowing to get the club back on track next season, according to Sky Sports.

“This season, for many reasons, we have not met our raised expectations on the pitch,” citing their Carabao Cup Final loss to Manchester City as well as the struggle for European qualification that led to the sack of Jose Mourinho.

He revealed that “Everyone had high hopes with the squad we had assembled. Unfortunately, despite sitting top of the Premier League in December, we have not been able to sustain this position.

“We reached the Carabao Cup Final, however we had a disappointing exit from the Europa League and now find ourselves fighting to qualify for Europe, having competed in European competition for 14 of the last 15 seasons.

“We are absolutely clear that central to our ambitions is a successful football team – it is what we all crave. We have come close over the last seven seasons and everyone’s focus is on a return to regular Champions League participation and competing for honours.

“I have said it many times and I will say it again – everything we do is in the long-term interests of the club,” Levy added. “I have always been and will continue to be ambitious for our club and its fans.

“As a club we have been so focused on delivering the stadium and dealing with the impact of the pandemic, that I feel we lost sight of some key priorities and what’s truly in our DNA.

“Our work in the community and with the NHS is an example of when we get it right, but we don’t get everything right. It has never been because we don’t care about or respect you, our fans – nothing could be further from the truth.”