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Todd Kline – the man Tottenham brought in to secure a naming rights sponsor for their stadium – has resigned.
The American was brought to the club in 2021 with high expectations of landing a lucrative partner. However, almost three years on, a deal remains elusive and Mail Sport understands he has now stepped down from the role of Chief Commercial Officer.
In 2016, Kline was key to an 18-year naming rights deal for the Dolphins stadium in Miami, where entertainment venue Hard Rock was reportedly required to pay £180 million.
But his time in North London has led to significant turnover within his department, with many experienced and well-liked staff leaving the club.
And with the stadium still without a sponsor, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for a while.
Todd Kline (right) has resigned as Chief Commercial Officer at Tottenham Hotspur
Kline was brought in to secure a naming rights sponsor for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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The £1 billion Grade II listed venue opened in 2019 and is now approaching half a decade without a partner. Such naming rights deals are crucial for top flight clubs, not least given the impact they have on profit and sustainability rules. Since Kline’s arrival, the Spurs have had discussions with companies like Google, Uber, FedEx and Amazon. But a deal – and the subsequent huge cash injection – has not materialized.
The tenure of Kline, who was also club director, has been turbulent. Under his watch, long-serving commercial director Fran Jones left to join Brentford in what was considered a huge loss. Insiders describe the turnover in Kline’s department as “amazing.” Some are known to have left without having another job.
Kline’s time at the club also saw them lose a proposed and highly controversial £42.5 million deal with South Africa after intervention by the country’s chairman of parliament for tourism.
It is believed that Tottenham have asked for £25 million a year for a stadium deal, and their search will now continue without Kline. Staff were told he had resigned this morning and had been given a period of gardening leave