(Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur said they have appointed Aston Villa’s former global director of football development Johan Lange as their new technical director.
British media reported Lange would effectively replace Fabio Paratici, who resigned as Spurs’ managing director of football earlier this year after his appeal against a 30-month ban from football was rejected.
The ban was imposed by the Italian Football Federation over his role in transfer deals and finances while at Juventus.
“We are delighted to announce that Johan Lange has been appointed technical director with effect from Nov. 1, 2023,” Spurs said in a statement on Monday.
“Lange will have responsibility for recruitment, analytics and talent identification across our senior and academy teams.”
Lange 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.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
