EPL leaders Tottenham Hotspur appoint Johan Lange as technical director, replacing Fabio Paratici
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Johan Lange would effectively replace Fabio Paratici.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
LONDON – Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Aston Villa’s former global director of football development Johan Lange as their technical director.
British media said Lange would replace Fabio Paratici, who resigned as Spurs’ managing director of football earlier in 2023 after his appeal against a 30-month ban from football, imposed by the Italian Football Federation over his role in transfer deals and finances while at Juventus, was rejected.
Spurs said on Monday that Lange, 43, will start on Nov 1 and “will have responsibility for recruitment, analytics and talent identification across our senior and academy teams”.
The Dane was appointed Aston Villa’s sporting director in 2020, with the club enjoying a resurgence under manager Unai Emery last season, before being made their global director of football development in June.
“Johan has demonstrated an excellent track record of scouting and signing many talented and successful youth and senior players,” Spurs’ chief football officer Scott Munn said. “He is a welcome addition as we strengthen our football operations.”
Spurs, who finished eighth last season and missed out on European football for the first time since 2010, have had a strong start under new manager Ange Postecoglou and are top of the Premier League after eight games.
Former Premier League champion and Golden Boot winner Chris Sutton told The Daily Mail: “I just sense at this moment in time that there’s a bit of jealousy towards what Tottenham are doing.
“I don’t like it. Why can’t we just be happy for Tottenham that they’re playing (well), the rest of the country. They’re a bit worried by Postecoglou and his Tottenham team. In my mind, they want him to lose a game or two and fail...
“When they lose the first game or whatever, people are going to pile on. Come on, it’s childish.
‘It’s been a great start, but I maintain they will not win the league – they will have bumps in the road.”
Meanwhile, in Brazil, former Selecao coach Tite has taken charge at Flamengo, fifth after 26 matches in the top flight, after signing a deal up to December 2024, the Brazilian club said on Monday.
Tite, 62, left the Brazil team after their quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He replaces Jorge Sampaoli. REUTERS
