Inside Fabio Paratici's return to Tottenham after an 18-month suspended prison sentence - which has left pundits in Italy stunned

Thomas Frank is the latest to herald Fabio Paratici's official return to Tottenham . Some might say Paratici never left, given he continued working as a consultant despite a 30-month ban imposed by the Italian FA and extended worldwide by FIFA for his part in the 'Plusvalenza' scandal that rocked Juventus .

But that has not deterred the fanfare of trumpeters at Spurs. First, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham seemed thrilled to confirm the transfer guru was back, appointed as one of two sporting directors in a new-fangled executive structure at the club less than a month after striking a plea bargain with a Rome judge to end the criminal element of the far-reaching investigation with a suspended prison sentence of 18 months.

Then Johan Lange, promoted from his position as the club's technical director to an equal footing as a sporting director, appeared beside Paratici on the sofa talking to club media about how they were both very excited about spending the future together.

Now Frank, hailing his two sporting directors as the 'perfect match' while offering very little in response to the direct question about the optics of a leading executive mired in scandal if not guilty, since plea bargaining is not an admission of guilt in Italian law.

'It's something, of course, I've heard about,' said the Spurs head coach. 'I don't know too much about the details. I know Fabio as a good guy at the times I've met him and think he's got a lot of quality, and I look forward to working with him.'

Some of the details are interesting, though. Paratici was an integral figure for more than a decade in various executive roles at Juventus before leaving at the end of his contract in 2021 to join Tottenham, where he was named managing director of football.

Thomas Frank has heralded Fabio Paratici's official return to Tottenham after his 30-month ban

The Italian football executive was sanctioned as part of the 'Plusvalenza' investigation in 2023

Within two years, the 'Plusvalenza' investigation was opened into financial malpractice and capital gains made by the routine overvaluation of players in the market to falsify accounts and the payment of 'double salaries' by Juventus, embroiling club president Andrea Agnelli and others including Paratici.

Paolo Ziliani studied the case closely and together with co-author Maurizio Pistocchi published the book Juventopoli in 2023. He was stunned to see Paratici ushered back into the fray quite so briskly at Tottenham.

'I consider English football, at least in comparison to Italian football, a model in terms of respect for the rules,' said Ziliani, now retired after 30 years working in sports programmes at Italian broadcasters Mediaset.

'I remember, for example, the mobilizations that took place in Leeds many when Massimo Cellino, a controversial president of various clubs, convicted in Italy for tax evasion, arrived as the owner of the club.

'A wave of popular indignation that we in Italy can only dream of. Fabio Paratici received a two-and-a-half-year sporting ban that wasn't a lifetime expulsion only because of the fear that the Juventus/Agnelli family brand instils in Italy.

'He led Juventus to a one-year disqualification from European competitions; he ended up on trial in a criminal court in Rome, asking his lawyers to plea bargain for a suspended sentence of one year and one month of imprisonment.

'The judge has reserved the right to decide and will certainly give his approval, but while all this is still ongoing, Tottenham, which had already had Paratici on staff, rehires him in a hurry, completely uninterested in the moral profile of the person in question. I swear that when I read the news, I could hardly believe it was true.'

Among the transfers scrutinised by was that of Cristian Romero from Juventus to Atalanta where he had been on loan for £14million and then immediately to Tottenham for £44m, although initially on loan, with Merih Demiral moving on loan from Juventus to Atalanta as a replacement.

Vinai Venkatesham had been thrilled to announced Paratici's return - despite some suggesting he had never really left

After joining the north London club in 2021 one of his standout transfers was Cristian Romero's

Paratici was working for Spurs by this point in 2021, but his control of all elements of the deal raised alarm among magistrates and supported evidence that he had created his own world of traded favours for Juventus, which some claimed distorted the integrity of Italian football.

Tottenham would consider the Romero deal to be excellent business. After a season or so as a reckless liability, he has matured into their captain, a totem of defensively solidity and recently signed a new contract.

The fee may have been inflated but they got a world-class centre-half, and this is the thing with football because if the transfers succeed few questions are going to be asked about those making them happen.

Paratici's Italian contacts also enabled Spurs to complete deals for Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus, Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli and Destiny Udogie from Udine. All became established as first team players.

He brought in Antonio Conte as head coach, which ended badly but was undoubtedly a coup after the short tenure of Nuno Espirito Santo. His hits have been more obvious than misses so it is perhaps unsurprising if supporters were quick to applaud his return to an official role.

It is Tottenham's way of securing his services because if they don't others probably will. In May, Paratici seemed set for AC Milan as sporting director before, with the cases not yet closed.

Milan changed track to avoid criticism and appointed former Lazio sporting director Igli Tare instead, although he remains a figure of interest in his native Italy. His presence at a Chelsea game in the company of Italian actress Pilar Folgliati made the gossip columns.

His reputation is not glowing in Italy and yet people like him. They speak of his charm and charisma. At Spurs, that does not seem to matter. Paratici has been a constant presence throughout his ban, often visible in the corporate boxes at games, networking and brokering deals behind the scenes on a consultancy basis.

The 53-year-old Italian made it clear when his return was confirmed on Wednesday that he appreciated the support and loyalty through a difficult period.

The Italian was also instrumental in recruiting Dejan Kulusevski (left) and Rodrigo Bentancur

Venkatesham, tasked with putting together an executive team to lead the club into a future without Daniel Levy and with the newly invested Lewis family looking on, has embraced the Italian once again.

Lange for all his expert data analysis and knowledge of emerging talent in world football is not a people person, and this is where Paratici excels, exerting influence through his web of powerful contacts and brokering deals behind the scenes.

As Frank put it: 'Johan is very good to put in good structures and building that recruitment department, our insight department, our analysis department. Fabio comes with another angle and another experience from 10 years in Italy with a great network and a great eye and a great vision for football. The way they complement each other is very good.'

For Paratici, the worst is over. He has found a new comfort zone in North London and for him the January market and the return to his natural habitat cannot come soon enough.