How Levy opened door for Trapattoni

One thing cannot be doubted, though: here is a man respected throughout football for a managerial career that is second only to Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson in terms of silverware won.

The boy from Cusano Milanino, near Milan, has become Italy's most successful coach - winning six titles with Juventus and another with Internazionale.

That Spurs should identify him as the man they want to succeed Hoddle now is puzzling in that he can speak little English and is set to take Italy into this summer's European Championships.

Negotiations are unlikely to end with him arriving at N17 before the summer, even if they offer him the bonus deal of his dreams to save Spurs from the drop. And if Italy perform as well as they are expected to, then he will undoubtedly be high on the wanted list of many of Europe's top clubs once more.

Unlike many successful coaches Trapattoni certainly fulfilled his promise as a player. He won the European Cup with AC Milan, 17 caps for his country and famously marked Pele out of the game in a 3-0 Intercontinental Cup success at the San Siro stadium in 1963.

But his biggest triumphs have arrived in a coaching capacity, where he excels with his man-management and tactical nous. Those skills, however, have not always been enough to prevent him from experiencing problems. In his first spell at Bayern Munich he quit at the end of the 1993 season by citing the language barrier as a problem. When he returned four years later, he won the title.

Similarly, when Italy became early casualties in the 2002 World Cup, everyone expected him to walk.

He is something of a conundrum. He may have an undeserved reputation as a defensive coach but is also heralded for his flamboyant touchlinegestures, histrionics and two fingered whistles,

He builds his side simply like any other good manager does: around the strengths of a rugged central midfield and a solid back line. His teams have nearly always featured at least three strikers, but, because they have also been so defensively sound, the label has stuck.

Trapattoni admits: "I've been told countless times that my methods were antiquated. But I'm still standing. I change and adapt to innovation, but I do so in my own way," he said.

He certainly knows how to get the best from his players and is pragmatic enough to know they are now part of the club's business structure as well as idols. This approach would appeal to the businessman in Levy.

"Players today aren't just footballers. They're cogs in a giant economic machine," says Trapattoni. "They are assets on a balance sheet and money-generators for the media, sponsors, contracts, image rights. It's not like 30 years ago when I was a player myself.

"Your responsibility as a manager becomes much greater because your actions have such major economic repercussions. You can't just go ordering players around and shouting at them."

Having said that, even at the age of 64, there is no question he is hungry for more success.

He says: "I don't know how many trophies I've won. I'd have to sit down and count. Success is ephemeral for me. As soon as it's done, it's over and I think about the next challenge."

Only he can decide if that challenge is to be at White Hart Lane.