National Rugby League side South Sydney CEO JOHN LEE has quit the Rabbitohs "to take up a position" with "sworn enemies" Sydney Roosters. Roosters Chair NICK POLITIS handed Lee the job of "heading up the front office at one of the NRL’s most influential clubs." Lee has presided over a "tumultuous 12 months at the Rabbitohs" which included posting a A$1.4M ($990,000) profit and the prescription drugs overdose of DYLAN WALKER and AARON GRAY. The Roosters have been seeking a "strong administrator" since COO BRIAN CANAVAN’s departure last month (FOX SPORTS, 2/16). ... NICKY BUTT has been appointed as ManU's new head of academy. Butt, 41, is a graduate of the academy’s famous Class of '92 and made 387 competitive appearances for ManU from '92-04, during which time he won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a UEFA Champions League and an Intercontinental Cup winners’ medal. He currently holds his UEFA Pro coaching license (ManU). ... PETER BAZALGETTE, the man credited with bringing Big Brother to Britain, "has been appointed as chairman of ITV."
He replaces ARCHIE NORMAN, who has chaired the broadcaster since Jan. '10.
The former Endemol UK chairman "is already a non-executive director at ITV" and will take over from Norman on May 12 (BBC, 2/16).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Frenchman HERVÉ RENARD was named as Morocco coach on Tuesday, returning to African football, where "he has enjoyed considerable success." The 47-year-old, who won the African Nations Cup with Zambia in '12 and Ivory Coast last year, "has been tasked with leading the north African country to the 2018 World Cup in Russia." He replaces BADOU EZAKI, who resigned last week (REUTERS, 2/16). ... Serie A side Palermo just made its "sixth managerial change of the season." GIOVANNI BOSI was sacked on Monday after "just one game in charge" and BEPPE IACHINI was re-appointed, three months after he was fired. Palermo Owner MAURIZIO ZAMPARINI asked the fans for forgiveness for "this month of chaos," adding that this had been due to his "wrong evaluation and misunderstanding" of Iachini (SKY SPORTS, 2/15).
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