Barcelona's LIONEL MESSI has celebrated reaching 10 million Instagram followers by "donning a special commemorative jacket." Messi posted a photo on Instagram "showing off his sky blue and white number," which is designed in the colors of his national team, Argentina. On the photo caption, Messi said, "10M muchas gracias a todos/thank you very much to all" (London DAILY MIRROR, 2/10). ... Spanish second division side Girona President FRANCESC REBLED confirmed that "the transfer of club shares" is on track. Rebled: "The negotiations are advanced and this will be a key week." He said that negotiations "are leaning toward a group" led by PEP GUARDIOLA's brother, football agent PERE GUARDIOLA. Girona needs an investment of €380,000 ($430,200) to pay Spain's tax authorities (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 2/10). ... SHIN TAE-YONG, a former assistant manager to ULI STIELIKE on the South Korean national football team, "has officially assumed his new position" as U23 Olympic team manager. He replaces LEE KWANG-JONG, who had to resign due to an "acute form of leukemia" (CHOSUN ILBO, 2/10). ... Uruguayan footballer DIEGO FORLAN on Monday denied "evading taxes by hiding money in Swiss accounts with the British bank HSBC Holdings PLC." Forlan was among a list of "rock stars, Hollywood actors, royalty and arms dealers named by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) as having been helped by HSBC to dodge taxes and conceal millions of dollars in assets" (REUTERS, 2/9). ... Former Ukraine and Liverpool forward ANDREI VORONIN "announced his retirement from football at the age of 35." Voronin: "It's difficult to talk about this but I have finished my career as a professional." Earlier, his agent ANDREI GOLOVASH said that Voronin "had ended his career because of a neck injury" (REUTERS, 2/9). ... Australian Football League side Adelaide defender BRENT REILLY "will remain in intensive care for days after having parts of his skull fractured into small pieces in a training accident." Club doctor ANDREW POTTER said Reilly was in a stable condition and "breathing by himself" on Tuesday, the day after emergency surgery. Potter said that "it was too soon to say whether Reilly would play again or what the long-term ramifications might be regarding his health" (THE AGE, 2/10).
COWDREY RETIRES: Paralympian MATT COWDREY "announced his retirement after a career that saw him become Australia's most successful Paralympian." The 26-year-old has been "busy establishing a career outside the pool since the London Paralympic Games" where he eclipsed runner TIM SULLIVAN's Australian record of 10 Gold Medals, but he said that it has "really only been the past couple of months where for the first time he could not see next year's Games in his plans" (THE AGE, 2/10).
