Scottish Premiership side Dundee United was "left stunned by the shock resignation" of JUSTINE MITCHELL as a club director (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 4/17). ... EPL side Aston Villa is "now in meltdown on and off the pitch with relegation from the Premier League followed by the immediate resignation" of Directors DAVID BERNSTEIN and MERVYN KING. Former FA Chair Bernstein "only joined the Villa board last month and was in the middle of a wholesale review of what had gone so desperately wrong this season." King and Bernstein "were brought into the club in March as part of a board shake-up during a turbulent year" (London DAILY MAIL, 4/18). ... The Int'l Surfing Association announced the appointment of ROBERT FASULO as the organization's exec director. Fasulo will be based in the ISA HQ in La Jolla, Calif., and will report directly to ISA President FERNANDO AGUERRE. Fasulo will be responsible for the strategic direction, financial stewardship and operational management of surfing's world governing body (ISA). ... The Int'l Korfball Federation appointed TILBERT LA HAYE as CEO. La Haye is from the Netherlands and will start leading the IKF's operations starting June 1. La Haye worked as a sports teacher, professional korfball coach and project manager for major elite and grassroots sports events in the the Netherlands, Spain and Colombia. He joins the IKF from the The Hague, where he has been employed as a senior consultant in the department of sports (IKF). ... Former England int'l GRAHAM DAWE said that he has resigned as National One rugby side Plymouth Albion's rugby director "at the request of the club's new owners." The club was taken over by former players DAVID VENABLES and BRUCE PRIDAY last week "after entering administration." Dawe said, "I have been asked by the new owners of Plymouth Albion to step down immediately" (BBC, 4/18). ... Samsung named Wasserman VP/Brands ALEX CHANG head of sports marketing (THE DAILY).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Swiss hockey side SC Bern has appointed KARI JALONEN as its new head coach for the next two seasons. The NLA also hired VILLE PELTONEN as its new assistant coach. The 56-year-old Jalonen has also been the head coach of the Finnish national team since '14 (SC Bern). ... Top14 rugby side Section Paloise decided not to renew the contract of coach JOËL REY. Club President BERNARD PONTNEAU and VP YANNICK LE GARRÉRES announced the decision, saying that the club is moving in a new direction. Rey had been with the club since ’08 (Section Paloise). ... Spanish third division side Cádiz named ÁLVARO CERVERA its new coach. He replaces CLAUDIO BARRAGÁN and will coach the club for the last four games of the current season (EFE, 4/18). ... Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana fired Manager MARKO NIKOLIC for "making a racial slur." Nikolic made a comment about one of his own players, BLESSING ELEKE, "after the Nigerian scored an extra time equalizer against Zavrc in a 1-1 draw last week." Nikolic, a Serb, was caught on camera as saying "look at that black idiot" while Eleke celebrated (AP, 4/18).
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