Tottenham could move for Benfica talent spotter Rui Pedro Braz if Fabio Paratici is hit with a worldwide ban.
Spurs chief Paratici has been handed a 30-month ban from Italian football for his involvement in alleged financial irregularities and false accounting at Juventus.
His two-and-a-half-year ban applies only to Italian football but under Fifa’s regulations, a national association can apply to extend a ban outside its own country. The scandal, saw players – according to the prosecutor – traded at artificially inflated values. Juventus firmly deny all wrongdoing and say they have begun the process of appealing against the court’s decision.
But Paratici, who is now managing director of football at Spurs, could face a worldwide ban should the punishment laid down by the Italian Football Federation not be overturned on appeal.
There is no suggestion Paratici has done anything wrong while at Spurs but the controversy could end up hitting the North London club.
Potential replacements now include Pedro Braz who was also courted by Chelsea until this month they named Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley as their new co-sporting directors. Pedro Braz has helped make Benfica one of the most productive clubs in the world at identifying and selling talent.
Last month they sold Argentine Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for £106million and have generated over £1billion in transfer fees since the turn of the century.
Pedro Braz took over as general director of Benfica in 2021 when he opted to leave his role as a television commentator and analyst.
Braz, 44, has a masters in communication and leadership and an MBA in sports management and was previously technical secretary of Benfica's futsal team.
Meanwhile, Tottenham assistant Cristian Stellini has complete trust in Fraser Forster ahead of his extended spell in the first-team. Ex-Celtic and Southampton goalkeeper Forster will take the place of injured Hugo Lloris for Saturday's trip to Leicester and could remain between the posts until April.
Lloris is currently sidelined with a knee injury that will keep him out for "five to seven weeks" but Stellini has no concerns over Forster, 34, being thrown into a busy period where Tottenham play in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
"I like Fraser like a man because he is a very good man," he said. "His behaviour in this season was perfect. Every day he pushes himself to train really hard and with this behaviour he pushes Hugo to train very hard.
"He is a great man before a great goalkeeper because we don't have to forgot we are men before we are player.
"I like Fraser. The difference between Hugo is we start to think physically. He (Fraser) is a keeper perfect for the Premier League style, for the type of game we are going to play in the Premier League and he uses both feet when he plays with the ball. So, it will be interesting to see him for some weeks to play with us. We trust in him, we completely trust in him."
