Tottenham confirm return of Paratici after 30-month ban

Tottenham have confirmed their new football leadership structure with Fabio Paratici returning full-time as a joint sporting director.

The departure of Daniel Levy last month was one of the final acts of an off-field shake up that saw Vinai Venkatesham brought in as Spurs’ new chief executive in April.

Paratici was previously the managing director of football at Tottenham but left in April 2023 after being handed a 30-month global ban from football for his role in the Prisma case during his time at Juventus.

Paratici was also given an 18-month suspended sentence from an Italian judge in a criminal case brought after he – as well as Andrea Agnelli and Pavel Nedved – was accused of false accounting, false company reporting and billing for non-existent transactions at the Serie A club.

The 53-year-old has been working in a consultancy role at Spurs over the summer but now returns in a full-time capacity to work alongside Johan Lange.

Spurs hope Paratici and Lange can ‘build a winning team, that endures’

In a statement, the club says the pair’s remit will be to “ensure that every decision, from player pathways and performance development to scouting and recruitment, is aligned and supports one overarching goal – to build a winning, world-class men’s team that endures. This partnership reflects a progressive approach to modern football operations – uniting two proven leaders with complementary experience, and a commitment to collaboration and innovation.”

Paratici said: “I’m delighted to be returning to a club that I love.

“I have been working with Johan, Vinai and [head coach] Thomas [Frank] as a consultant for a number of months and I now look forward to returning to London and joining the team full-time. I’m convinced that working in partnership with Johan we can build a special future for the club and our supporters.”

Paratici and Lange are ‘exceptional leaders’ – Venkatesham

Venkatesham added: “This is an important evolution in how we operate. The remit of a sporting director today is vast, and by uniting two exceptional leaders in Johan and Fabio, we’re setting the foundations for sustained success.

“They are both outstanding football minds, with complementary expertise and strong track records. This structure reflects our ambition and our determination to compete at the very highest level to deliver for our supporters.

“Together, Fabio and Johan will lead with purpose – building not only a competitive men’s squad, but a connected football ecosystem where every detail contributes to our shared ambition: to make our club a benchmark for excellence in world football.”

Spurs have started well under Frank, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou over the summer, and sit third in the Premier League.

They return to action following the international break on Sunday when they host Aston Villa.