Arsenal CEO IVAN GAZIDIS has been appointed to two posts at the top of football in Europe. Gazidis has been named by the European Club Association as its representative on UEFA's primary policy making body -- the UEFA Professional Strategy Council. He will also take up a seat on the ECA Exec Board (Arsenal).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan "appears to have signed a contract" with former Serbian club Partizan Manager ALEXANDER STANOJEVIĆ to serve as manager. Sources are reporting the agreement is a two-year deal worth $1.9M a year and with similar results-based requirements as were put in former Manager JAIME PACHECO's contract (WILD EAST FOOTBALL, 11/28). ... Former Socceroo player FRANK FARINA has been named coach of A-League club Sydney FC. The 48-year-old "will be in charge" of the Sky Blues for Sunday's home clash against the Melbourne Heart at Allianz Stadium. Farina takes over from interim coach STEVE CORCIA, who will revert to his former role as assistant (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/28). ... Spain national basketball team coach SERGIO SCARIOLO stepped down Wednesday. He is expected to be replaced by his assistant JUAN ANTONIO ORENGA (AS, 11/28). ... La Liga club RCD Espanyol has appointed former Mexican national team head coach JAVIER AGUIRRE as its coach. Aguirre replaces MAURICIO POCHETTINO who was sacked on Monday (EUROPA PRESS, 11/28). ... Iraq national football coach ZICO has resigned after little more than a year in the post, saying that the country's FA "has failed to fulfill the terms of his contract." Zico wrote on his website: "I would like to announce that I have sent a communication to FIFA … and to the Iraq Football Association declaring that I consider my contract to be void due to the IFA's failure to abide by its terms. I will provide further details shortly" (REUTERS, 11/28). ... Russian football club Anzhi Makhachkala coach GUUS HIDDINK will bring the curtain down on an "illustrious, globetrotting, coaching career at the end of the current season." Hiddink has "led both the Netherlands and South Korea to the World Cup semifinals, took Russia to a European Championships semifinal, and won the European Cup (now the Champions League) with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven" (AFP, 11/28). ... ASHLEY GILES, the former England spin bowler and until a day ago director of cricket at Warwickshire, "replaced ANDY FLOWER as England’s one-day coach." While Flower "will remain in overall charge as team director, Giles will take over the day-to-day running of England’s 50-over and Twenty20 teams" (LONDON TIMES, 11/28).
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