'Don Fabio is back!' Tottenham announce Fabio Paratici return as part of 'evolution' | OneFootball

Italian returns to Spurs as sporting director to work alongside Johan Lange

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The Italian was managing director of football at Spurs between 2021 and 2023 before he resigned from his position after he lost an appeal against a 30-month ban from Italian football, which FIFA extended "to have worldwide effect".

Paratici has continued to be involved at Spurs as a consultant but his role has now been formalised as part of a new structure leading the men's team.

Paratici was managing director of football at Spurs between 2021 and 2023

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Vinai Venkatesham remains chief executive and the man with responsibility for the day-to-day running of the club.

There will now be two sporting directors, with Johan Lange also promoted to that role having previously been technical director at the club.

Paratici said: “I’m delighted to be returning to a club that I love. I have been working with Johan, Vinai and Thomas 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."

Lange arrived at Spurs two years ago, having previously been sporting director at Aston Villa. He will now take up that position in north London.

“I firmly believe we are building something special here at Tottenham Hotspur, and I am looking forward to working with Fabio as part of our new men’s football structure,” Lange said.

“We have a talented group of staff and players here at the club and we can look forward with confidence and positivity.”

There will be a further addition to the Spurs hierarchy, with the club set to start the search for a director of football operations. That role will be to support Paratici and Lange and manage several departments at the club's training centre.

It has been a period of significant change off the pitch at the club, most notably with the removal of Daniel Levy as executive chairman after almost 25 years.

Peter Charrington is now non-executive chairman, but he is not actively involved at Spurs on a day-to-day basis.

The Lewis family, Spurs majority shareholder, wanted to implement a more modern boardroom structure rather than having one central figure effectively running the club.

“This is an important evolution in how we operate," Venkatesham said.

"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.”