Tottenham Hotspur’s Director of Football Fabio Paratici must step aside from his duties at the club, as part of FIFA’s worldwide ban. Spurs have of course already lost one prominent staff member in Antonio Conte. Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason have taken up the helm, but Paratici would no doubt have been planning ahead to help Daniel Levy find a new permanent manager in the summer transfer window.
Paratici was one of the executives implicated as Juventus were found guilty of false accounting. FIFA initially handed him a 30-month ban from Italian football. But there now has been a development which could hurt Tottenham’s hunt for a new manager.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Director of Football Fabio Paratici Banned by FIFA
Fabio Paritici banned for 30 months by Italian authorities so big issue for @SpursOfficial. “FIFA can confirm that following request by the FIGC, FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend sanctions imposed by FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect.”
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) March 29, 2023
Spurs Without Paratici: A ‘Big Issue’ Indeed
FIFA said in a statement on Wednesday in response to a question from the Guardian relating to Paratici: “Fifa can confirm that following a request by the Italian FA (FIGC), the chairperson of Fifa disciplinary committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect.”
Simon Stone, Football Reporter for BBC Sport, described this moment as a “big issue for Spurs”.
A Director of Football holds a lot of power and influence at any club. For Spurs, Paratici has played a vital role in bringing in some much-needed new faces. Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were both brought in under the Italian and have already settled into the first team.
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Of course, Paratici’s role isn’t just about bringing in new players. He also worked closely with Conte to help translate the manager’s needs into the right kinds of players coming in. The verdict is out on just how successful Paratici has been in this role for Spurs – but a lot of that rests more with Levy’s budget.
Now that Paratici is banned, it could affect what managers Spurs can attract. After all, Levy cannot guarantee who the acting Director of Football will be if Paratici and Juventus’ appeal fails.
A preliminary court hearing has been postponed until May 10.
Meanwhile, Tottenham will try to focus on getting results on the pitch, with 10 matches left to consolidate a top four spot. They will travel to Everton hoping to keep their heads down amidst this maelstrom.
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