ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS has been approached by Serie A club AC Milan to become their new coach despite his sacking by Tottenham Hotspur. intermediaries acting on behalf of the Italian club contacted the Portuguese this week, but he told them "he wants time to take stock of his career after his sudden departure from White Hart Lane." Villas-Boas "has been inundated with inquiries regarding his services" and rejected the chance to speak with West Bromwich Albion (LONDON TIMES, 12/20). Cardiff City Manager MALKY MACKAY is "facing the sack" after it came out that the Premier League club's Owner VINCENT TAN told him to "resign or be forced out." MacKay said this week that he "has no intention of resigning" and that position "will not change" (London GUARDIAN, 12/20). ... German Football League (DFL) CEO CHRISTIAN SEIFERT "remains speaker of the Initiative Professional Sport Germany (IPD) for a another two years." The IPD appointed Handball Bundesliga (HBL) CEO FRANK BOHMANN as its new deputy speaker. The IPD is a coalition between DFL, HBL, Basketball Bundesliga and German Hockey League (SID, 12/19). ... Spanish Football League (LFP) President JAVIER TEBAS has "commented on the European Commission's investigation into seven Spanish football clubs." Tebas said that "Spanish football is being called into question because it wins a lot of titles and this contributes to a suspicion about teams receiving aid when they are not" (MARCA, 12/19).
JUST MAKING A JOKE: FA Chair GREG DYKE "has defended the cut-throat gesture he made" at the World Cup draw earlier this month as merely "a piece of humor." Dyke "caused a stir" at the draw in Brazil on Dec. 6 when he "slid his index finger across his throat after England were placed in Group D alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica." Asked if he regretted his actions, Dyke said, “No. It was a piece of humor. That’s me. If you want a straight-laced suit, you can have a straight-laced suit. Or you can have someone like me. It was an instant reaction. Interestingly, there have been a number of football fans who’ve come up to me and said ‘you’re a proper football fan because you felt like we did'" (LONDON TIMES, 12/19). ... Dutchman CONNY VAN RIETSCHOTEN, the only skipper to have won the Volvo Ocean Race twice in its 40-year history, died at age 87. Van Rietschoten "claimed the second and third editions of offshore sailing's leading round-the-world professional race" in '77-78 and '81-82 on board Flyer I and Flyer II (GLOBAL TIMES, 12/19). ... Singer PAUL MCCARTNEY's wife, HEATHER MILLS, is "facing a fine" of up to €1,000 ($1,300) and referral to the Int'l Paralympic Committee's Legal and Ethics Commission after "a furious row which ended her hopes of representing Great Britain" at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. IPC Communications Dir CRAIG SPENCE revealed details of the incident at an Austrain hotel in which it is alleged Mills "'broke into a rage,' lunged at a leading IPC official and screamed insults before being restrained" (London INDEPENDENT, 12/19).
