Tottenham Hotspur have announced the appointment of Carlos Raphael Moersen, widely known as Rafi, as the club’s first-ever Director of Football Operations, a move formalised on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
This strategic hire comes just one day after the club confirmed that Sporting Director Fabio Paratici will depart next month to join Serie A side Fiorentina, marking a significant restructuring of the football leadership at Hotspur Way.
Moersen joins after more than a decade with the City Football Group (CFG), where he most recently served as Director of Football Transactions, playing a central role in player contract negotiations and high-profile deals within the global football model. Tottenham Sporting Director Johan Lange, to whom Moersen will report on men’s football matters, highlighted the significance of the appointment.
“We are delighted to welcome Rafi to the Club in the newly created role of Director of Football Operations,” Lange said. “He was the outstanding candidate from a highly competitive process and brings a wealth of experience in this critical area of our football operation. His appointment is an important step as we continue to strengthen our football structure and support long-term success”.
The new role is not a direct replacement for the outgoing Paratici, but rather a position created as part of a broader plan to build a modern, high-performance structure.
Moersen will lead football administration, player care, and training ground operations, while also taking on a key role in overseeing Tottenham Hotspur Women’s football, driving renewed focus and ambition for the women’s team.
For women’s football matters, he will report to Chief Executive Officer Vinai Venkatesham. His arrival is part of a sustained focus on strengthening the club’s foundations, which also includes the upcoming appointment of Dan Lewindon as Performance Director next month and increased investment in the Academy.
Paratici’s exit, confirmed on January 14, brings to a close his second spell at the club, which began with his return as joint sporting director alongside Lange in October 2025.
In a statement, Paratici cited personal reasons for his departure, expressing his desire to return to his native Italy. “I want to thank Vinai and the Board of Tottenham Hotspur for accommodating my desire to return to Italy and join Fiorentina,” Paratici said. “I have loved my time at the Club, however this opportunity, together with the need to be based in my homeland, has led me to this decision”. CEO Vinai Venkatesham acknowledged the departure, stating, “We have agreed that Fabio will return to Italy following the conclusion of the January transfer window, in line with his wish to move back home. We thank Fabio for his contribution to the Club and wish him well for the future”.
Venkatesham emphasised the resilience of the management structure, noting, “Our management structure is designed to be resilient to personnel changes, and it will be business as usual moving forward”.
Moersen’s background includes a business education in the United States and early career experience with MLS side D.C. United before his long tenure within the CFG network, which included roles at New York City FC and Manchester City.
His expertise in player transactions and operations is seen as a major asset for Tottenham as they continue their own structural evolution in the post-Daniel Levy chairman era. The club’s leadership appears to be building a more distributed, multi-specialist executive team, with Moersen’s operational remit allowing Sporting Director Johan Lange to focus on broader strategic and recruitment vision.
The timing of these executive changes coincides with a challenging period on the pitch for Thomas Frank’s side, who currently languish in 14th place in the Premier League, and during a critical January transfer window. Paratici is expected to see out the window, which includes finalising deals such as the arrival of left-back Souza from Santos, before departing for Florence.
The appointment of Rafi Moersen represents Tottenham’s latest step in a deliberate, long-term project to instil a new footballing infrastructure, aiming to create stability and success regardless of changes in individual personnel.