Former Ligue 1 side Nantes President GUY SCHERRER has died aged 72. Scherrer was with the club from ’92-96 and was also the VP of the Nantes Industrial Chamber of Commerce (L’ÉQUIPE, 12/16). ... Real Madrid President FLORENTINO PÉREZ has prohibited Real Madrid TV from broadcasting images "showing his baldness" (AS, 12/16). ... Professional Golfers' Association CEO SANDY JONES said that the ongoing controversy generated by DONALD TRUMP is "not a positive thing for golf." Jones said that the "negative publicity around Trump is bad for golf." Jones: "Sadly his political campaign in America seems to be getting in the way of all the great things golf offers" (BBC, 12/16). ... The BBC has "drawn first blood in the punditry battles ahead of Euro 2016 with the announcement that THIERRY HENRY" will be among its team for the tournament. The former France int'l and Arsenal striker, who is a regular on Sky Sports, "will join GARY LINEKER and ALAN SHEARER for the summer." The BBC promised there will be more announcements with "a number of other big international names in the Paris studio" (INDEPENDENT, 12/16). ... Northern Irish actor JAMES NESBITT and English presenter KATE ABDO are set to take the roles of hosts at the upcoming FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala. It will be a first appearance at the awards show for Nesbitt, who starred in the recent Hollywood rendition of The Hobbit. Abdo, who returns to the stage, has spent the last 10 years as a sports reporter and can be seen regularly on Sky Sports News HQ, as well as fronting its coverage of Spanish football (FIFA). ... The son of former IAAF President LAMINE DIACK is one of four officials "facing a disciplinary hearing this week over an alleged doping cover-up." PAPA MASSATA DIACK, a former consultant for the IAAF, and ex-IAAF Anti-Doping Dir GABRIEL DOLLE are charged with "breaches of the IAAF's code of ethics." Former All-Russia Athletic Federation President VALENTIN BALAKHNICHEV and coach ALEXEI MELNIKOV "are also in the dock" (BBC, 12/16).
WORLD'S WORST: 20th Century Fox has released the first int'l Eddie the Eagle trailer. The story focuses on MICHAEL EDWARDS (TARON EGERTON), "an unlikely folk hero of sorts" who became the U.K.'s first Olympic ski jumper and found fame and adoration "despite finishing last" in the 70m and 90m jumps at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. HUGH JACKMAN and CHRISTOPHER WALKEN also star (COLLIDER, 12/15).
