Tottenham ‘urgently seeking clarification from FIFA’ over Fabio Paratici ban

Tottenham are “urgently seeking further clarification from FIFA” after the club’s managing director of football Fabio Paratici’s ban in Italy was extended worldwide.

Paratici is suspended in his home country after his former club Juventus, where he was sporting director and latterly managing director, were found guilty of false accounting.

FIFA’s extension of the ban – which was initially 30 months and applicable only to Italian football – means he will have to step down from his role at Tottenham.

A Tottenham statement read: “FIFA has late this afternoon responded to us in writing notifying us that a decision has been made by the FIFA disciplinary committee to extend the FIGC sanction worldwide.

“This committee deliberation has been taken with no advance notice to any of the parties involved. We are urgently seeking further clarification from FIFA as to the details of the extension and its variance from the FIGC sanction.

“We should like to make clear that when Fabio conducted the interview on club channels yesterday neither he nor the club had any indication of this decision being made by FIFA, based on the fact the FIGC sanction was taken on 20 January 2023 and remains subject to an appeal on 19 April 2023.”

Having left the Serie A club in May 2021 Paratici joined Spurs the following month and would have been involved in the search for a new manager following Antonio Conte’s departure last week.

FIFA announced they had extended Paratici’s ban “to have worldwide effect” in a statement released earlier on Wednesday.

The governing body said: “FIFA can confirm that following a request by the Italian FA (FIGC), the chairperson of FIFA disciplinary committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect.”

Juventus have denied wrongdoing and they and Paratici have appealed against the sanctions.

On Tuesday Tottenham published a lengthy interview with Paratici in which he said Conte’s departure was “the right decision for everyone” and the club was “focused” on supporting interim head coach Cristian Stellini as they try to secure a top-four finish.

Fan group the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust on Wednesday afternoon called for clarity and reassurance from the club.

Responding to the Paratici ban, it tweeted: “This news adds further to the extremely concerning situation at the club. No manager, no director of football and uncertainty around our star player and our end of season finish.

“Fans deserve to hear a clear statement of strategy from THFC so they can be reassured by the board on their plan to bring success and stability to the club.”