Levy faces full-blown Tottenham crisis as Paratici news gets worse

Pep Guardiola reacts to win over Tottenham Hotspurs

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Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy could see the project in north London blown apart with sporting director Fabio Paratici facing more extreme punishment than first feared. The former Juventus chief was slapped with a 30-month ban last week by the Italian FA, but they are reportedly set to request that FIFA extend that ban globally. 

Paratici took up the role of Tottenham transfer chief in 2021, with one of his key calling cards being a long-standing relationship with Antonio Conte. It took a while for Spurs to get hold of the former Inter Milan boss but he and Paratici have now formed a partnership in north London for over a year. 

It therefore will have come as a blow to Conte when Paratici was slapped with a 30-month ban for alleged financial irregularities during his time with Juventus. The Bianconeri have also been deducted 15 points, slipping down to mid-table in Serie A. 

At present, Paratici’s ban only applies to Italian football but the country’s FA are reportedly set to request that FIFA expand it to include all global football activities, including the Premier League. 

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Speaking to The Daily Mail, football legal expert KC Nick De Marco believes that the request may prove successful. “It’s not automatic and there is the possibility of challenging it at FIFA level but is very difficult,” he said. “We challenged [former Leeds’ owner] Massimo Cellino’s 12-month ban from the FA when he went to Italy but FIFA did not alter it.”

Tottenham would be at liberty to argue against a ruling that sees Paratici banned from performing his duties in north London, and they could supposedly ask that the ban be deferred until the case is heard again, but the controversial nature of the saga may be enough to push Conte over the edge. 

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The Tottenham boss is out of contract at the end of the season and refuses to provide any guarantees that he will extend his stay. Conte has repeatedly called for squad improvements in the transfer market and the mood at Spurs is not a particularly cheery one at present, with the style of play failing to excite fans and results slipping. 

Losing Conte therefore becomes a real possibility for Levy if the Paratici news gets worse. Many felt as though Conte’s appointment was the next step in Tottenham’s ambitious project, but fans may soon get a blast from the past with former manager Mauricio Pochettino touted as next in line for the job. 

Ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has also been linked, should a vacancy arrive in north London, and former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that the German could be a success. “Yes, there would be a lot of scepticism because of links to Chelsea and the job he did there,” he told Express Sport. “But it showed that he can get results from players in a short space of time.

“He won the Champions League with Chelsea in a very short time. A lot of people think that he was relieved of his duties too early. It was a work in progress, he’s proved that he’s a top manager. He’s world class.”

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