Hello and thank you for tuning in to Sky Sports News. We take you now to White Hart Lane where Spurs Chairman, Daniel Levy, has called a press conference today to announce the name of his new manager. White Hart Lane has been under the temporary leadership of Steffen Freund since May, but the board have finally come to an agreement with a new manager. We go now to White Hart Lane to hear from Mr. Levy.
Daniel Levy: Thank you all very much for coming. On behalf of the board of directors here at Spurs and the entire Spurs family, I want to extend my thanks to Steffen for taking on the tremendous added responsibility of managing the club on an interim basis during the off-season; Steffen will return to the scouting team in the next week once our new manager has taken over. We have interviewed several excellent candidates and we believe we have selected the best choice for our club going forward. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Luca Pereira. You will remember Luca from his playing days at the club, as well as with Roma and Ajax. You will also recall that he was capped a total of 79 times with the Portuguese national side. I'd like to invite Luca to now make a short statement and then we will be prepared to take quesitons.
Luca Periera: Thank you, Daniel, thank you everyone. I am very happy to have this opportunity. Tottenham Hotspur are a club very close to my heart and I am so pleased to be back with the club now. I have undertaken the preliminary work and feel confident in saying that I will be able to work well with the team that exists currently in order to achieve the results which have eluded Spurs for some time. I want to thank the fans in advance for their support not only for me but for the club as a whole and I look forward to meeting them and impressing them in the coming weeks.
Diego Salazar (BBC): Mr. Levy, we all remember Luca from his time as a player, but he is relatively untested as a manager. What do you say to supporters who may be a bit nervous about the lack of experience he brings to the table?
DL: I would ask the fans to be patient and they will see. After having many conversations with Luca during the hiring process and the sheer passion he shows for the game, I think we can be very certain that he will do a great job while here at Spurs. And we must not forget, too, that while he has not been the manager of a major club yet, he has worked as a coach at Dortmund and as head of youth development at Roma.
Frank Montgomery (ESPNFC): Luca, this signals your first ever foray into the world of football management. It's a job that comes with a lot of pressure, especially in England where fans can be unforgiving. Do you think you have got what it takes?
LP: Thank you Frank. I think that my record as a player, a coach and a youth director speak for themselves. I have been in the football world for most of my life and I have dealt with the pressure cooker that it is ably for that entire time. Does the job of manager come with some extra challenges and pressure? Of course it does, but I also know that Spurs is a fantastic club and there is so much support available that I am extremely confident in my ability.
Spencer Avery (Sky Sports): Daniel, do you think this signing will help get your team into the Champions' League? That's what the fans want.
DL: I'm confident that hiring Luca will present us with the opportunity to have stability at the helm and that's ultimately what we need to get into the Champions' League.
LP: I would just like to add to that; it is possible for us to qualify this year if we work hard and stay focused, but I think the most realistic target would be to cement position in the league table and to look towards Champions' League qualification in the following season. That said, I will still be looking for a performance on the European stage from our lads.
SA (Sky Sports): So Spurs supporters should not get their hopes up for a Champions' League qualification this season?
LP: Like I said, we have the quality already to be able to qualify provided that nothing goes wrong and there are no major issues. But football is tricky sometimes and to expect a season to go off without a hitch is a tall order. This season, in my mind, is about finishing near the top of the table and adding some key pieces to strengthen the side to make us ready for anything.
DS (BBC): Do you think you can keep a hold of some of your top players like Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen, and Christian Eriksen if you don't qualify for the Champions' League this season?
LP: I will have to speak to each and every player to assess where their heads are at and obviously I have not had the chance to do that; at that point, I will have to work together with my team to ascertain what the best way forward in each circumstance might be.
DS (BBC): Does that mean you'll be prepared to let go of a player like Christian Eriksen if he indicates that he wants to play in the Champions' League?
LP: Not at all. It means that I will have to speak to each player and make that decision once we've had a good chat. I want to be clear: Spurs will be in the Champions' League within the next two years.
DL: Alright, thank you very much for your questions, that's the end of our conference. As always, if you have any further questions, contact our media relations office.
Well there you have it; the new manager at White Hart Lane is the former Portuguese international, Luca Pereira.