"Disaster" has been averted. For Tottenham's players and leadership, there was little to celebrate after the club — one of the richest in European soccer — narrowly escaped relegation from England's top division for the first time in nearly 50 years.
"We will not dress it up," chairman Peter Charrington said in a letter to fans published Monday, "as anything other than falling well short of what this club expects."
Near Miss in Premier League
While Tottenham's 17th-place finish last season was viewed as an aberration amid the team's ultimately successful bid to win the Europa League, there was little excuse for a repeat 12 months later.
Yet there Spurs were, heading into the final round of this season on Sunday just two points outside the relegation zone and in danger of dropping into the second tier for the first time since 1977.
It would have been the most unlikely relegation since the Premier League was founded in 1992, with Tottenham a member of England's so-called "Big Six."
However, Tottenham beat Everton 1-0 to complete a late-season revival that included three wins in its last five games under recently-hired coach Roberto De Zerbi.
Coach Saves the Season
"Without that appointment," Tottenham midfielder James Maddison said, "disaster could have maybe struck."
It was too close for comfort for a club hierarchy that has undergone profound change over the last couple of years, including the departure of long-time chairman Daniel Levy.
Full Reset
Charrington said that during this "full reset" of the boardroom, the club had taken its eye off the ball.
"As part of that process, we discovered some uncomfortable truths. The qualities that make Spurs distinct, our football, our ambition, the connection between the team and its supporters, had been allowed to fade," he wrote.
"Football success had not been driving our decisions."
Rebuild Commitment
Charrington gave a five-point list of commitments to fans, including that the club "will invest across multiple transfer windows to rebuild, balance and strengthen" the team for De Zerbi.
"There has been speculation about ownership and the future direction of the club," Charrington added. "Let us be direct. Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale."
"The Lewis family are wholly committed to this club and to this rebuild. They will provide the stability and investment needed at every level to move us forward."
Maddison is happy De Zerbi will be leading Tottenham through tough times.
"I am really happy for the manager who came in and steered the ship clear," Maddison said, "because I think without him, it could have been doom and gloom."
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press