Key Points
- Fabio Paratici officially returns to Tottenham Hotspur as Sporting Director after a two-year absence.
- Johan Lange, previously the club’s Technical Director, is promoted to co-Sporting Director.
- The new leadership structure aims to strengthen leadership, collaboration, and long-term decision-making across men’s football at Tottenham.
- Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange will jointly lead Tottenham’s men’s football strategy and football operations.
- Club CEO Vinai Venkatesham highlights this as a significant evolution for sustained success.
- Paratici’s return follows the completion of a FIFA suspension related to financial misconduct allegations.
- The partnership of Paratici and Lange is designed to build a winning, world-class men’s team that endures.
- This change reflects Tottenham’s ambition to compete at the highest level and create a connected football ecosystem.
What is the new leadership structure at Tottenham Hotspur?
Tottenham Hotspur recently announced an important development with a new leadership structure in their men’s football operations. Fabio Paratici has officially returned to the club as Sporting Director, partnering with Johan Lange, who has been promoted from Technical Director to co-Sporting Director. According to the club’s official statement, this new structure “is designed to strengthen leadership, collaboration and long-term decision-making across all areas of the men’s and boys’ game”.​
This dual Sporting Director approach reflects a modern and progressive football operation, merging two leaders with complementary experience to work collaboratively toward Tottenham’s ambitions. Their combined roles involve overseeing player pathways, performance development, scouting, and recruitment aligned with one cohesive objective: “to build a winning, world-class men’s team that endures”.​
Why has Fabio Paratici returned to Tottenham Hotspur?
Fabio Paratici’s return comes after a notable absence linked to a 30-month FIFA suspension for alleged financial misconduct during his previous tenure at Juventus. Paratici was one of 11 former Juventus officials banned for financial irregularities related to inflated transfer fees for accounting purposes. His global ban, which prevented football activities, ended in the summer of 2025. Despite the ban, he remained involved unofficially by providing consultancy to Tottenham.​
Fabio Paratici expressed his enthusiasm about the return:
“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”.​
Who is Johan Lange, and what is his new role?
Johan Lange, who joined Tottenham Hotspur in November 2023, has been promoted to co-Sporting Director from his prior role as Technical Director. Lange has formerly held influential positions at Aston Villa and FC Copenhagen. He will share equal responsibility with Paratici in leading Tottenham’s men’s football strategy.
Lange said,
“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. We have a talented group of staff and players here at the Club and we can look forward with confidence and positivity”.​
How does Tottenham Hotspur’s CEO describe this leadership change?
Vinai Venkatesham, Tottenham Hotspur’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasised the importance of this structural evolution:
“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”.​
Venkatesham further highlighted,
“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”.​
What is the significance of Paratici’s previous contributions to Tottenham?
Paratici is widely credited with pivotal transfers and recruitment decisions during his prior tenure at Tottenham (2021-2023). He was instrumental in bringing Antonio Conte to the club and was key to signing players like Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, and identifying Cristian Romero, who later became captain (Spurs Web, 2025). His football expertise and eye for talent contributed significantly to the club’s competitive progress in recent years.​
What does the new leadership mean for Tottenham’s future ambitions?
The club envisions the partnership between Paratici and Lange as laying the groundwork for a new era of success, marked by thoughtful collaboration and innovation in football operations. The dual Sporting Director model aims to ensure alignment across all facets of the men’s game, from youth development to first-team performance.
Tottenham Hotspur’s statement summarized the vision:
“The combined expertise of Johan and Fabio will ensure that every decision—from player pathways and performance development to scouting and recruitment—is aligned and supports one overarching goal – to build a winning, world-class men’s team that endures”.​
How does this fit into Tottenham’s broader strategic development?
Paratici’s return and the appointment of Johann Lange to co-Sporting Director is part of Tottenham’s ongoing investment in world-class football structures for both men’s and women’s football. This leadership revamp follows the appointment of Vinai Venkatesham as CEO earlier in 2025, representing a year of transformative change aimed at improving all operational aspects on and off the pitch.​
Tottenham Hotspur’s football leadership now stands at a promising crossroads, with experience, fresh ideas, and a collaborative approach setting the stage for the club’s ambitious goal: to become a global benchmark for excellence and sustained success at the highest level of world football.
