Tottenham appoint Fabio Paratici as director of football

Former Juventus sporting director will oversee Spurs’ transfer strategy

(AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Fabio Paratici as director of football after Juventus opted not to renew the Italian’s contract at the end of the season.

He will join the north London club from the start of July. A club statement announced that he will take the title of Managing Director, Football, while confirming he will be “responsible for managing and developing the Club’s sporting operations at the Club, facilities and footballing infrastructure.”

Paratici, who spent 11 years in Turin and orchestrated moves for Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba, was initially set to join alongside Antonio Conte as head coach. However, his appointment did not hinge on being reunited with the former Juventus manager, whose talks with Tottenham broke down recently.

Despite holding productive talks with Conte, the manager’s doubts over Spurs ability to immediately challenge for major titles remained, while the looming saga over Harry Kane’s future is also a major point of uncertainty. Spurs, meanwhile, had reservations over the number of backroom staff Conte wanted to bring to north London.

With PSG unwilling to sanction Mauricio Pochettino’s departure, Paulo Fonseca has been placed as the favourite to permanently succeed Jose Mourinho - who has in turn succeeded him at Roma.

Daniel Levy, Chairman, praised the “wealth of experience in scouting, youth and football operations” Paratici will bring to the club, highlighting an “outstanding track record in assembling competitive squads”.

The Italian spoke of the challenge which lies ahead, labelling Spurs, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, “one of the top clubs” in the country.

“I am thrilled by this fantastic opportunity and I thank the Club and the Chairman for the trust in me,” he said.

“Tottenham is one of the top clubs in the UK and in Europe with an ambitious long-term plan. I will dedicate all myself to this new venture and look forward to working with the management team to write a new and hopefully successful chapter in the Club history.”