He appoints Peter Shreeves as first team coach. The club reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup before losing to Feyenoord over the two legs. Ossie Ardiles is installed as the new manager and is a popular choice with the fans. Despite Tottenham's powerful forward line, their defence leaks goals. Ardiles eventually pays the price and is replaced in November by Gerry Francis.
Sugar wins an appeal against a six-point penalty imposed because of financial irregularities.
The club are also reinstated in the FA Cup. There is more trouble for Sugar when Francis resigns. Christian Gross is chosen to succeed Francis, with Sugar hailing the Swiss unknown as the man to take Spurs into the next millennium. Sugar stuns the soccer world by signing Klinsmann for a second spell in a bid to help steer the club clear of relegation. Klinsmann keeps Spurs in the Premiership but leaves at the end of the season after another public fall-out, this time with Gross.