- Paratici involved in Juventus scandal
- Ban made worldwide on Wednesday
- Spurs confirm his stepping down two days later
WHAT HAPPENED? The decision comes after the ban handed to the Italian for his involvement in Juventus' recent corruption scandal was made global on Wednesday. The ban, handed down from the Italian FA (FIGC) for alleged financial irregularities during his time in Turin, initially applied to Italian football.
But its extension worldwide couldn't have come at a worse time for Spurs, who are currently on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Antonio Conte late last week. While both Paratici and the club await the outcome of an appeal on that decision, Spurs have revealed that they have parted ways, with the Italian set for "an immediate leave of absence".
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WHAT THEY SAID: A statement on Tottenham's website read as follows: "This week - 29 March 2023 - the FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced a decision to extend the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) sanctions, relating to Fabio Paratici, worldwide. This decision was taken in advance of Fabio Paratici’s Appeal hearing against the FIGC sanctions on 19 April 2023, the result of which would then have been considered by additional stakeholders, including the Club.
"Given FIFA’s unexpected ruling the sanctions may now have multi-jurisdictional effect, although they are still related to the FIGC Appeal. In view of FIFA’s decision, Fabio has agreed with the Club that he will take an immediate leave of absence pending the outcome of his Appeal."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Paratici met with Spurs players on Friday to inform them of the situation, before a joint decision was made with the club for him to step back from his duties from April 19, the date of the outcome of his appeal. The ex-director of football is just one of 11 former Juve executives to be hit with a ban, while the club themselves were handed a 15-point deduction for the current Serie A season.
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AND WHAT'S MORE: The decision leaves Tottenham in disarray. The club presided over by Daniel Levy now faces a battle to find the club's managerial successor to the recently dismissed Conte, in a competitive market given the situations of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Doing so without a director of football seems an arduous, if not ill-advised, task, meaning Levy can Co will be almost immediately on the hunt for a new Spurs chief, in what looks set to be a tumultuous period of change in north London.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SPURS? Amid all this noise off the field, interim boss Cristian Stellini will lead his side out away at relegation battlers Everton on Monday, who themselves are staring down the barrel of a potentially-damaging points deduction.