“one day I can come back” – Ex Spurs man who left the club in September hints at a potential return in future
Leanoardo Gabbanini, the acting sporting director and former chief scout for Tottenham, recently provided insight into his departure from the team.
In September, Gabbanini resigned from his position at Tottenham as part of a continuing organizational restructuring.
Gabbanini made a significant impact on Tottenham’s recruitment efforts while he was there, especially during the summer transfer window.
As part of his role, he helped sign players like Micky van de Ven and James Maddison, who have already had a significant impact and helped Tottenham keep their perfect record this season.
Gabbanini stated that he left his position at Tottenham because he couldn’t see himself working in a hierarchical environment, despite his successful tenure there.
He stated that he preferred to stay in direct communication with the club’s owner because he thought this was the most efficient course of action.
Gabbanini drew attention to the way football clubs are evolving, with roles such as “head of” and “chief of” multiplying and adding more layers of separation between the club’s owner and important decision-makers.
He stated (through Adam Leventhal of The Athletic):
“When I first came to Tottenham, I was a chief scout, and I really enjoyed this. In my mind, I was the sporting director when I departed.
“I had to take a step that introduced a new mindset in order to correct the situation at the club. They let my thoughts flow.
“The club’s goal was to expand its membership and job openings. We now have the “head of” and the “chief of” this world. There are seven steps to take before you can talk to the owner.
For him, the key to bringing about change and improving the club was having direct communication with the owner.
Even though he loved his job as chief scout, Gabbanini wanted to work in sports administration and thought he could make a difference by speaking with the ownership directly.
Rather than just being able to supply lists of players for other people to sign, he wanted to play a more active role in determining the direction of the club.
“We performed amazingly. Tell me now why I should take a step back. For what reason do I have to work under one or two other people? I want to speak with a club’s owners directly because this is where I can have an impact. We can accomplish something positive if I keep having direct conversations with the owner.
“I don’t want to take on the same duties as I did as chief scout, which included bringing a roster of players to prospective signees. I want to be as involved in the market as I was this summer. When you try something, sometimes you can’t take it back.
Gabbanini left Tottenham because he wanted a more prominent position as a sporting director.
He admitted that sometimes choosing a different route is essential to achieving one’s objectives, and he hinted that he might look into opportunities with other teams in the hopes of eventually working as a sporting director again for a team like Tottenham.
“I can perform at the highest level in the world as a chief scout, but I wasn’t probably Tottenham’s head sporting director. Thus, if you share my desire to become sporting director, you might need to choose a different route and begin with a different team. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to return to a club like Tottenham in that capacity.
All parties can understand his departure, but he deserves recognition for the excellent work he has done for the Spurs.
Although it makes sense that Spurs might not have been able to offer him the director position given his lack of experience, it appears that he will have plenty of opportunities in the future.