‘Different world’ – New Spurs chief scout makes admission about step up

Leonardo Gabbanini, who joined Tottenham as their new chief scout in the summer, has been speaking to the Italian press about life at the North London club.

It emerged back in August that Fabio Paratici had made Gabbanini Spurs’ new chief scout (The Athletic).

The appointment was part of a broader overhaul of Tottenham’s scouting department undertaken by the club’s managing director of football, with Gretar Steinsson being appointed as the performance director and Andy Scoulding also joining the club’s scouting team.

Gabbanini has now spoken about working in England and about the step up he made to Spurs.

The 42-year-old told Radio Firenze Viola (as translated by Sport Witness): “It’s going well, it’s a completely different reality. I’ve been working there (England) for five years. Before, I was at Watford as a Chief Scout. 

“Now at Tottenham, it’s a different world, there’s very high value in everything you do. In short, it’s hard, but it also gives great satisfaction.”

Gabbanini was also asked about Pierluigi Gollini, who struggled to get game time during his season-long loan spell at Tottenham in 2021-22.

It did not come as a surprise when Spurs decided not to take up the option to buy the Italian permanently in the summer, with the goalkeeper being loaned out to Fiorentina over the summer.

Gabbanini explained that Spurs ‘believed in Gollini a lot’ and that ‘a year behind Lloris was not easy’ for the 27-year-old.

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Gollini might have hoped to be Fiorentina’s number one this season but he has had to play second fiddle to Pietro Terracciano so far this season and has made a couple of mistakes when opportunities have come his way. 

Perhaps, the lack of football at Spurs affected the 27-year-old’s confidence. Goalkeepers also need a level of continuity to be at their best, which the on-loan Atalanta man has not had for the last 18 months.

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