Fabio Paratici returns to Tottenham as sporting director after ban

LONDON (AP) — Tottenham announced the full-time return of Fabio Paratici to the Premier League team on Wednesday as one of two sporting directors, 2 1/2 years after his departure amid a false accounting trial at former club Juventus.

Paratici was one of the officials handed bans from soccer activities when Juventus was hit with a 15-point penalty following an investigation by Turin public prosecutors into alleged false bookkeeping.

Paratici received a 30-month ban by Italian sports authorities that was extended worldwide by FIFA and upheld in 2023 following his appeal — leading to his exit from Tottenham, where he was the club’s managing director at the time.

Last month, Paratici was granted a plea-bargain deal of 18 months by a judge, with that sentence from Italy’s general judicial — non sports — structure being suspended. Like others implicated in the case such as former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, Paratici denied any wrongdoing.

Now he is back at Tottenham, where he will partner with fellow sporting director Johan Lange in a new structure in the club’s soccer operations.

Paratici said he has been working as a consultant at Tottenham “for a number of months” and was looking forward to returning in a full-time role.

“I’m convinced that working in partnership with Johan we can build a special future for the club and our supporters,” Paratici said in a Tottenham statement.

Tottenham said the new structure was “designed to strengthen leadership, collaboration and long-term decision-making across all areas of the men’s and boys’ game.”

“Together, they (Paratici and Lange) will lead our men’s football strategy and drive an ambitious new chapter,” the club said.

The high-level restructuring at Tottenham comes after the departure of long-time chairman Daniel Levy last month.

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