Fabio Paratici: Tottenham managing director of football resigns after failed appeal against 30-month ban from the game

Tottenham's managing director of football Fabio Paratici has resigned after his appeal against a two-and-a-half-year ban was rejected by Italy's highest sports court.

Paratici initially stepped back from his role at Spurs on March 31 following his ban made worldwide by FIFA.

The Italian was handed a 30-month suspension from the game in January after his former club Juventus, where he worked for 11 years, were found guilty by an Italian court of false accounting.

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A day after his appeal against the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ruling was rejected, Tottenham confirmed his departure as the ban "prevents Fabio from fulfilling his duties".

Paratici is still awaiting the result of his appeal to FIFA against their extension of the ban worldwide. He denies any wrongdoing - as do the 11 other directors and Juventus as a club - over the financial mismanagement case.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said: "This has been a stressful time for Fabio and his family. We wanted to ensure that we allowed for due process to be followed. Fabio is a man who lives and breathes football - we wish him well.

"As outlined in our year end results, we started several months ago to restructure our football operations and last week announced the appointment of Scott Munn as Chief Football Officer to head up all the departments. We shall continue to strengthen our football functions over the coming months."

Tottenham added Paratici has taken the decision "to focus on his legal position in respect of the FIGC and FIFA rulings".

Stellini: Paratici departure does not affect team

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Spurs interim head coach Cristian Stellini has drawn on his own experience of a football ban to offer words of support to close friend Paratici.

Stellini was suspended from football activity in 2012, amid allegations of match fixing.

He quit as an assistant coach at Juventus, and spent two years out of football.

"I worked a lot on myself, he said. "Because if something (like this) happens you have to react and be better in the future.

"During that time away I analysed why I was in that moment and the way to be better in the future and not to have the same problem.

"This is important work because you look at yourself in the mirror and you have to be strong."

The investigation into match fixing began in 2011, stemming from Stellini's time at Bari. He has always maintained his innocence.

"I thought in that moment that it was too much for me, so I took a step back and analysed if football was what I wanted to do 100 per cent.

"I decided it was. So I fought and I worked again, and I try to do my best every day."

Asked if helping Spurs into the top four this season would be seen as the ultimate redemption, he said: "It's not about redeeming myself, it's about being better."

Juve have 15-point deduction suspended

The Paratici appeal decision was announced on Thursday afternoon, a day after the hearing was heard by the Sports Guarantee Panel at the Italian National Olympic Committee.

The panel, however, accepted Juventus' appeal against their 15-point deduction for allegations of false accounting.

It means Juve's 15-point penalty in Serie A has been suspended, lifting them from seventh to third in the Serie A table - with 59 points, 16 behind leaders Napoli - and into the Champions League places with eight games left to play.

Following a three-hour hearing the previous day, the case has now been referred back to the soccer federation's appeals court and Juventus have been handed back the points pending the new trial.

It means the Bianconeri are now two points behind second-placed Lazio and three ahead of fourth-placed Roma in a tight battle for the Champions League qualifying spots.

Pavel Nedved, Paolo Garimberti and Enrico Vellano were also successful in appealing against their charges but Paratici, former chairman Andrea Agnelli and Federico Cherubini had their appeals rejected.

Partially accepting the Juventus appeal, the Sports Guarantee Board did not clear the club of wrongdoing but ruled that a soccer court made up of different judges should now hold new proceedings against Juventus and the directors and come up with a more appropriate punishment.

However, Juventus also face potential sporting penalties, including points deductions, in a separate case that Italian football's governing body (FIGC) is running over alleged irregularities in Juve's payments to players.

FIGC wrapped up investigations last week and is expected to decide whether the club should face another tribunal.

Inquiries by sport authorities were triggered by investigations by criminal prosecutors in Turin, where the club is based, in a case regarding alleged false accounting.

A criminal court hearing to decide whether to order a trial for Agnelli, 11 other people and the club itself started last month.

Juventus have denied wrongdoing and said their accounting is in line with industry standards.