Juventus have announced their first decision in what could be a summer filled with changes. Fabio Paratici, the managing director of the football area, will leave the club at the end of his contract on June 30th. The executive met with chairman Andrea Agnelli earlier today to formalize the departure.
Paratici joined the Bianconeri from Sampdoria in 2010 as right-hand man of CEO Giuseppe Marotta. He became the sports director in 2011 and then the chief football officer in 2018 after his mentor was ousted. As the head of the transfer market strategies, he contributed to nine Scudetti, five Coppe Italia, and two Supercoppe. He was the key figure behind the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo and the axing of Massimiliano Allegri.
He told the official site: “They were wonderful years of professional growth and strong emotions. Juventus gave me the opportunity to carry out my work with full freedom and without interference in full respect of my role. For this, I would like to thank the whole club, my staff, the employees, co-workers, the players, the coaches, the shareholders, and in particular the president Andrea Agnelli. An important chapter of my career closes as I await new challenges.” He and the chairman will hold a joint presser on June 4th.
The club has not named his replacement immediately, but it could happen as soon as tomorrow during a meeting of the Exor holding. Federico Cherubini is expected to be elevated, while the Old Lady has not been linked to outside officials in recent weeks. Paratici, instead, has been connected to Tottenham and Bayern Munich by Tuttosport and La Stampa. He has been embattled this year due to the Luis Suarez affair and multiple instances in which he vehemently criticized referees.