Piero Ausilio has finally spoken about the talk linking him with Tottenham, and while he insists nobody has called him yet, the former Inter sporting director made it very clear he would take a Premier League offer seriously.
Ausilio, who has been out of work since his time at Inter ended on 1 September, was asked directly about a future at Tottenham when he appeared at the Social Football Summit in Turin on Tuesday.
Spurs’ interest is not new. Last month we reported that Roberto De Zerbi is pushing Tottenham to hire the former Inter sporting director, with the head coach rating his work very highly. This is the first time Ausilio himself has addressed it.
What did Piero Ausilio say about Tottenham?
Asked about Tottenham and the Premier League, he said: “Right now I haven’t spoken to anyone, and then there are the rumours. My wish is to test myself in a different, new league, and the Premier League is a fascinating project. That doesn’t mean I’ll go there tomorrow, but it interests me and I would seriously consider it if the opportunity came.”
That is about as open as a director out of work can be without announcing a deal. He was asked about Milan in the same question, but it was England he chose to talk about.
He also joked about how quiet life has been since September. Asked what he does with his days now, he said: “Nothing. The truth is that before, with the excuse of having daily commitments, I’d get lots of requests to speak and take part in conferences, and I’d get out of it by saying I was busy. Now I should basically be touring Europe. I certainly have lots to do and rediscover.”
Why did he leave Inter?
Ausilio left after a league title and a Coppa Italia, and he said that was exactly how he had always pictured going. “Leaving after a Scudetto and a Coppa Italia, as well as the financial results of these years, is how I always imagined it,” he said.
Money and security played their part too. Ausilio believed he deserved a longer contract on better terms, but Inter only offered one more year on similar money rather than a three-year deal with a rise. At that point he decided it was time to say goodbye.
He admitted he had turned down other approaches over the years, including this one. “There have always been some opportunities, and there were this year too. But I always gave Inter priority,” he explained, adding that he left behind what he sees as the most complete Inter squad of recent years.
The deals behind his reputation
Ausilio spent around 25 years at Inter, starting in the youth set-up. He named Mario Balotelli as his first big operation there, and Marcelo Brozović as one he remembers from his time as first-team sporting director. He also talked about the early years under Financial Fair Play, when Inter had to be creative, before Conte’s first season brought Romelu Lukaku and Nicolò Barella to the club.
Since then he has been known for bargains such as Marcus Thuram and Hakan Çalhanoğlu as much as big sales like Lukaku and André Onana. He has had no contact with Beppe Marotta since leaving, but he still speaks regularly to his former deputy Dario Baccin, who Inter turned to after he left, and to head coach Cristian Chivu.
Would Piero Ausilio work at Tottenham?
On paper, it is a strong fit. Spurs are still dealing with questions in the boardroom, including the stalled sale of Daniel Levy’s stake, as covered in our look at the would-be investor declared bankrupt in Hong Kong. A recruitment chief who knows how to build a squad on a budget would bring some calm to all of that.
He would also arrive with the backing of De Zerbi, which matters in any club’s power structure, and Ausilio’s record of finding value would help in battles like the standoff with Barcelona over Pedro Porro’s price.
The key line is “if the opportunity came”. Ausilio has done everything but put his hand up. Now it is on Tottenham to decide whether the man their head coach wants is worth a formal approach, and after a summer of heavy spending, we think he is.
