Reports in Italy have revealed which club chief is being eyed by Tottenham as they hunt for Fabio Paratici’s replacement as managing director of football.
Tottenham appointed Paratici in June 2021, a week after he had ended his 11-year association with Italian giants Juventus. During his spell with Juventus, they won nine Serie A titles, five Coppa Italias, five Supercoppa Italianas and also reached the Champions League final in 2017.
Upon his arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Paratici labelled Spurs ‘one of the top clubs in the UK’ and revealed how he was impressed by their ‘ambitious long-term plan’.
With the 50-year-old’s help, Spurs have brought in top players like Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur. Paratici has used his extensive Italian connections to negotiate arrivals and exits with Serie A teams.
But the chief’s future at Spurs recently came under serious threat. On January 21, his former club Juve were docked 15 points by Italian football authorities for ‘financial irregularities and false accounting’. And due to his involvement, Paratici was given a 30-month ban from Italian football.
According to The Guardian, there is a chance his ban could be extended worldwide if Juve’s appeal fails. The club denies any wrongdoing.
Clearly, if Paratici is prevented from doing his role at Spurs, it would be a major headache for chairman Daniel Levy. And while he can currently be involved in transfers and other important decisions, the ban does not reflect well on the north London side.
As per Tuttomercatoweb, Spurs have begun looking for director of football replacements who can work alongside manager Antonio Conte and help the club reach its lofty ambitions.
Tottenham aiming for appointment of Lazio chief
And their report claims Spurs have identified Paratici’s potential replacement. The man in question is Lazio sporting director Igli Tare.
He is a 49-year-old Albanian who made 70 appearances for Lazio as a player before hanging up his boots in 2008. Since then, he has worked as their sporting director.
Tare has pulled off some smart deals during his time at the Stadio Olimpico, such as by signing Sergej Milinkovic-Savic for just €9million back in 2015.
But his future with Lazio has become uncertain. Some fans of the club have grown tired of him as a couple of his recent signings have failed to impress. And his contract expires in June, leading to rumours of a potential exit.
Presumably, Spurs like the fact Tare has an eye for a clever signing. They will be slightly worried about some of his recent deals, but maybe Levy is seeing past that.
And the fact Tare will become a free agent this summer makes him even more appealing. That should make it far easier for Spurs to bring him in.
Lazio are pushing for the former striker to pen a three-year extension. But Spurs could soon begin talks with Tare to try and convince him on a move to the Premier League instead.