March 29 – In a huge blow to the club just days after they parted company with manager Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur managing director of football Fabio Paratici looks set to also have to step away from his role after his ban from football in Italy was extended worldwide by FIFA.
In January, Paratici was handed 30-month ban from carrying out activities within the Italian Football Federation, part of an investigation into a false accounting scandal at Juventus which saw 11 other officials leave, including former president Andrea Agnelli, and the club deducted 15 points.
Paratici, who had already left his role as Juve sporting director to take up a new position at Tottenham, was handed the longest ban of 2½ years by the Italian soccer federation. It initially only applied to Italian football but has now been extended worldwide by FIFA.
“FIFA can confirm that following a request by the Italian FA (FIGC), the Chairperson of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect,” a statement said.
The decision will have a significant impact on Tottenham at a time when the Premier League club is conducting a search for Conte’s replacement.
Conte left by “mutual agreement” on Sunday, just over a week after a post-match outburst in which he criticised the players and Tottenham’s ownership in public.
Paratici would have been expected to play a key role in identifying and hiring Conte’s successor, with former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann among the names linked with the job.
On Tuesday, he spoke about Conte’s exit and of his determination to see Tottenham have a successful end to the season.
“We will fight to achieve our targets. We are prepared to fight until the end of the season,” Paratici said. “Everyone has to be focused on the last part of the season.”
Sky Sports reports that Paratici cannot conduct any transfer market activity directly including talking to agents and negotiating deals, a fundamental part of his job as managing director of football.
But he can still apparently work internally at Spurs, including attending meetings.
Paratici vehemently denies the allegations against him but the latest move heaps more pressure on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, the top flight’s longest-serving chairman, who has a massive call to make over Conte’s replacement as well as the future of star striker Harry Kane.
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