Tottenham Hotspurs top official steps back from role
Tottenham Hotspurs top official steps back from role
Tottenham Hotspurs top official steps back from role
Fabio Paratici has stepped back from his role as Tottenham Hotspur managing director of football pending the outcome of his appeal against a worldwide ban from football.
The 50-year-old’s departure follows FIFA’s decision on Wednesday to extend his Italian FA (FIGC) ban for alleged financial malpractice.
READ MORE : Ramirez defeats Dogboe to win WBO featherweight title
Paratici met with players on Friday to explain the situation and it has been decided, in conjunction with the club, that he will step back from his duties pending the outcome of his appeal on April 19.
The Italian is one of 11 former Juventus executives who were banned from Italian football after the FIGC used new evidence gathered in a separate criminal investigation, known as Prisma, to reopen a case it lost this time last year.
The ban also covered then-Juventus club chairman Andrea Agnelli, who was hit with a 24-month ban, as well as former Juventus player turned director Pavel Nedved, who was banned for eight months. The Italian side have since been handed a 15-point deduction for this Serie A season.
All 11 deny any wrongdoing and an appeal against the FIGC sanctions will be heard by the Italian Olympic Committee next month.
Paratici was set to lead Spurs’ efforts to identify a replacement for Antonio Conte, who left his role as head coach with the north London club last Sunday.
STORY NOW : Two top managers inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame
Paratici joined Spurs in June 2021 and helped the club finish in the top four during the 2021-22 season.
His stepping back leaves Spurs chairman Daniel Levy currently without a permanent first-team manager or acting director of football.
Tottenham’s performance director, Gretar Steinsson, and head of football strategy, Andy Scoulding, are set to help fill the void left by Paratici as it stands.
Steinsson, who previously worked at Everton and Fleetwood, joined the club last summer along with Scoulding, who was previously head of scouting at Rangers.
Both men have already been working behind the scenes on processes and culture at the club, as well as on plans to enhance the data analytics operation. It is hoped that Spurs’ longer-term planning to recruit the duo will now help provide some continuity in Paratici’s absence.
CHECK NEWS : Real Madrid to loose top star for a month with injury
Conte’s former No 2 Cristian Stellini will take charge of the men’s first-team until the end the season. He will be assisted by Ryan Mason, who played for Spurs between 2008-16 and was interim head coach following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho in 2021.
Spurs are next in action on April 3 when they face Everton at Goodison Park.
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP
