Fabio Paratici agrees to RETIRE as Tottenham sporting director in light of its global ban on the sport by FIFA as the Italians and Spurs make a mutual decision pending their appeal.
- FIFA decided to extend Fabio Paratici’s soccer ban worldwide on Wednesday
- Sputs is left without a general manager or coach after the departure of Antonio Conte
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Fabio Paratici has resigned from his role as Tottenham’s general manager following FIFA’s decision to extend its soccer ban globally.
The Italian has agreed to take a leave of absence with immediate effect, according to a statement from the Premier League club.
The decision comes after a mutual agreement with Spurs, with a decision on the 50-year-old’s appeal still pending.
The announcement came on Friday, when Sportsmail revealed that Paratici had returned to England amid growing uncertainty over his future on Thursday.
A statement from the club read: “This week, March 29, 2023, the FIFA disciplinary committee announced the decision to extend the sanctions of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), related to Fabio Paratici, worldwide.
Fabio Paratici resigns as Tottenham Hotspur CEO
Now without a managing director as well, Daniel Levy had already been looking for a new manager after Antonio Conte’s departure.
This decision was made ahead of Fabio Paratici’s appeal hearing against FIGC sanctions on April 19, 2023, the outcome of which would have been considered by other interested parties, including the club.
“Given FIFA’s unexpected ruling, the sanctions may now have a multi-jurisdictional effect, although they are still linked 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.”
According to The Athletic, the former general manager met with the players to explain the situation, and Tottenham made the announcement in the evening.
It comes at the end of an eventful week in north London, after former manager Antonio Conte left the club on Sunday, following his explosive press conference following the club’s 3-3 draw with Southampton.
Paratici has seen his 30-month suspension in Italy extended to the whole world by FIFA from Wednesday.
As a result of his worldwide ban, he now faces a two and a half year stint out of the game.
Paratici was initially given a 30-month ban by the Italian FA in January earlier this year, and the 50-year-old, one of numerous current and former Juventus executives, was punished for false accounting.
A total of 11 former executives of Italian giant Juventus, Paratici being one of them, have been banned from Italian football after the Italian FA used new evidence gathered in the Prisma investigation to reopen a case it lost in 2022.
The 11 executives have denied any wrongdoing, and the Italian Olympic Committee will hear an appeal in April.
Until Wednesday, it was thought the ban would only apply to Italian soccer, however FIFA decided to extend the ban to all soccer worldwide, creating complications given its position at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Juventus’ board of directors resigned as one last year before bans ranging from eight months to two and a half years were imposed on them.
A FIFA statement read: “FIFA can confirm that, following a request by the Italian FA (FIGC), the Chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by FIGC to a number of football officials so that they have global effect”.
Tottenham say they were not notified before FIFA’s announcement on Wednesday morning.
Paratici’s 30-month ban extends to all football-related activities, administrative, sporting or otherwise, domestically and internationally, but Spurs want clarity on those sanctions.
As he is known to have done, Paratici returned home to Italy during the international break, coinciding his return with the previously planned start of criminal proceedings related to the Juventus case, though it has since been postponed until May 10.