Barcelona and Spain midfielder XAVI HERNANDEZ has announced his "retirement from international football." The 34-year-old won the World Cup and two European Championships with his country. He was capped 133 times, "more than any other Spanish outfield player, and scored 13 goals" (BBC, 8/5). ... Former Greece football coach FERNANDO SANTOS has been banned for "eight competitive international matches after he was sent off at the end of the World Cup match against Costa Rica." FIFA said in a statement that Santos was guilty of "several acts of unsporting conduct towards the match officials" (REUTERS, 8/4). ... Former Scottish Championship side Rangers player ALEX RAE "has predicted further off-field turmoil for the Ibrox club in the upcoming season." While Rae insists Manager ALLY MCCOIST's squad has "more than enough to win the SPFL Championship, Rae believes fans have reason to be concerned over the lack of assurances from the board over the future of the club's Murray Park training ground, with directors resisting calls to guarantee they will not launch a fundraising sale" (HERALD SCOTLAND, 8/5). ... Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot coach CORINNE DIACRE's team lost 2-1 "away to Brest in her first game in charge." The Ligue 2 fixture "marked the first time that a woman had taken charge of a professional men's team in the top two tiers of a European league." Diacre: "It's never nice to lose, but you can't ignore Clermont this season" (BBC, 8/4). ... Experiential marketing agency George P. Johnson on Monday announced the creation of GPJ Sports Marketing. The new practice will specialize in the development of sports experiences for Fortune 500 firms globally and will be led by industry vets KEVIN BARTRAM and JON HICKEY (THE DAILY). ... Octagon named BBH Social Strategist SHEA WARNES Digital Strategist in its U.K. office (Octagon).
