Paulo Fonseca explains why his Tottenham move fell through

Paulo Fonseca has claimed that his move to Tottenham broke down because managing director Fabio Paratici desired more defensive football.

Fonseca was one of many candidates considered by Spurs after Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties, with Gennaro Gattuso and Antonio Conte among those targeted.

The former Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk boss was sacked by Roma at the end of last season and nearly found a new job straight away with Spurs. However, despite the talks reaching an advanced stage, the switch was eventually vetoed by Paratici.

“The agreement was done. We were planning the pre-season and Tottenham wanted an offensive coach. It wasn’t announced but we planned pre-season players. But things changed when the new managing director arrived and we didn’t agree with some ideas and he preferred another coach,” Fonseca told the Telegraph.

“I have some principles. I wanted to be coach of the great teams but I want the right project and a club where the people believe in my ideas, my way to play, and this didn’t happen with the managing director.

“It’s what the chairman and the sporting director [Steve Hitchen] asked for. To build a team who can play attractive and offensive football and I was ready for that. I cannot be a different way. All my teams will have these intentions. In Rome or Shakhtar in the Champions League against the biggest teams, I’m not sending out my teams to defend near their own box.”

Although Fonseca did not get his Premier League move this summer, he refused to rule out managing in England in the future. He has previously been linked with Everton and it will likely not be long until a suitable vacancy pops up.

“I honestly believe this will happen one day and is one of my ambitions to coach in England one day,” he said. “I haven’t done it yet so cannot say my way of coaching is perfect for England. But there is more open teams, teams trying to win, of course more intensity but also space to develop my game.”