Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Fabio Paratici has been appointed managing director of the north London club's football operations from July 1, with an announcement over new head coach Paulo Fonseca expected in the coming days.
The 48-year-old will be responsible for managing and developing the club’s sporting operations at the club, facilities and footballing infrastructure, Spurs said in a statement.
He will join from Juventus after 11 successful years with the Serie A club. The 48-year-old most recently held the title of chief football officer in Turin and gave regular press conferences, including a farewell appearance last week after it was announced he would not be signing a new contract. It is intended that his new role will be a front-facing one as Spurs look to take some of the spotlight off under-fire chairman Daniel Levy.
While Paratici does not officially start until the beginning of July, football.london has been told he is already working on the club's transfer plans this summer and a number of players have been informed that they can leave following a disappointing campaign in which Jose Mourinho was sacked and they finished way off the top four.
The new Roma head coach will be replaced by the man he has taken over from in the Italian capital with negotiations around a deal for Fonseca nearing their final stages. The attack-minded 48-year-old from Portugal rose to prominence in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk but struggled during a period of transition at Roma.
Paratici has played a key role in his likely appointment, which is expected to be confirmed early next week.
Speaking to the club website, Paratici said of his arrival: “I am thrilled by this fantastic opportunity and I thank the club and the chairman for the trust in me. 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.”
Levy, who bore the brunt of criticism from supporters during a miserable campaign that also featured the embarrassing proposal and rapid collapse of a European Super League, added: “I've known Fabio for a number of years and he brings with him a wealth of experience in scouting, youth and football operations.
“He has an outstanding track record in assembling competitive squads. As we all know, Juventus have been a highly successful club and he has been a major part of that.
“He will be a great addition to the management structure. I am delighted that he will be heading up the football side of the club as we look ahead to next season.”
