‘Absolutely not’ – FIGC president denies rumours of Paratici pressure on Milan | OneFootball

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina has denied that he played any role in AC Milan’s decision to end talks with Fabio Paratici over the vacant director position.

Paratici was expected to become the new Milan sporting director, but – barring any unexpected developments – he will not get the job. This is despite reports of a verbal agreement being reached between the ex-Juventus man and the club.

Milan knew about his ban and were apparently calm about the situation, but then things took a negative turn when they learned about his limited operability. There was even talks that some pressure from Italian football’s governing body, the FIGC, put CEO Giorgio Furlani off.

Gravina spoke to the media present at the Social Football Summit yesterday and – in addition to praising the work that Milan’s youth sector has done – he was asked about the Paratici speculation.

“I read that someone has linked my name to an idea of this type [that he put pressure on Milan not to hire him],” he said (via Calciomercato.com).

“Absolutely not, Milan or anyone can sign Paratici to a contract, who as is known cannot operate until July 2025. He cannot operate, but there is no rule that prohibits him from being signed.”