Tottenham CEO explains how Lange and Paratici will work together

Vinai Venkatesham may have Arsenal ties, but boy, does he make it hard not to admire him. Tottenham's chief executive officer (CEO) has once again spoken with impressive clarity and precision when explaining how the club's new leadership structure will work.

Fabio Paratici's inevitable return has been made official, with Spurs' announcement confirming that the Italian will work alongside Johan Lange, who has been promoted from technical director, as joint sporting directors.

Sharing this role is pretty uncommon, although Thomas Frank is familiar with the model. The Dane arrived at Brentford almost a decade ago when Phil Giles and Rasmus Ankersen were acting as co-sporting directors. Their partnership was successful for six years before the latter opted to build his own sports investment fund, Sport Republic.

So while uncommon, Tottenham's new leadership structure is hardly unprecedented. Nevertheless, some may be interested to see how exactly Lange and Paratici will share their responsibilities. Well, fortunately, Spurs have hired an excellent communicator in Vinai, who was quickly on hand to explain how it will all work.

How Tottenham's joint-sporting directors will work together

Soon after the news was made official, Tottenham dropped an interview with the CEO on social media.

Vinai first notes that Paratici has been working for the club on a consultancy basis, having resigned as managing director in April 2023 after being suspended for 30 months by FIFA for his role in Juventus's 'Plusvalenza' scandal.

Paratici thus already has a working relationship with Lange, and Vinai's breakdown of their roles should offer confidence that their partnership could prove to be a balanced and, ultimately, an effective one.

"In terms of Johan's [Lange's] areas of focus, he'll be focused on scouting, performance, football insights, performance analysis and the academy," Vinai outlined. "Fabio [Paratici] will be more focused on players, the transfer window, and the loans and pathways department."

Despite their different expertise, the pair will "work together on everything," Vinai adds. "They will both come together around squad planning and player recommendations."

While some may fear clashes and disagreements, differences of opinion are to be welcomed by the CEO. Ultimately, the club clearly believe that the skill sets of their joint-sporting directors go hand-in-hand and should contribute to a harmonious relationship.

The proof will be in the pudding, and supporters are already expecting a busy January, given the messaging that's come out from the top brass since Daniel Levy's departure.

The significant hierarchical changes, cash injections and return of the "don" could make for an exciting winter.