Former Tottenham Hotspur director of football Damien Comolli has insisted that chairman Daniel Levy "never" interfered with team selection.
Allegations over the extent of Levy's involvement have emerged following the sacking of head coach Andre Villas-Boas on Monday.
However, Comolli has claimed that during his time as football director at White Hart Lane, he did not witness the chairman have his say with regards to team matters.
"I never saw him interfere, not in my three and a half years there," Comolli told talkSPORT. "I never saw him say this player or that player should play. That would be a big surprise to me if that was the case.
"And I don't think it's fair to say AVB doesn't have a clue. He's a top manager who's won trophies in Portugal and he has a fantastic future. It's harsh when people say that, but it just hasn't worked out."
Tim Sherwood has taken over the first team on an interim basis.