Former Olympique de Marseille Operations Dir CORINNE GENSOLLEN has been “named general director for Intersport France/Belgium.” She starts her new position on Oct. 3 and “succeeds FRANÇOIS NEUKIRCH” (SPORTBUZZ BUSINESS, 9/14). ... Sauber F1 has "managed to persuade highly-rated strategist RUTH BUSCOMBE to join from Haas." The move comes after Longbow Finance's takeover of the "struggling Swiss team injected some much needed cash." Buscombe, for three years a Ferrari employee, left Haas in June, "less than eight months after joining the new-found American outfit." The news will come as "a blow to GENE HAAS, who has also lost the services of several Ferrari aerodynamicists for next year" (VAVEL, 9/13).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Last-place Belgian Pro League side Westerlo named JACKY MATHIJSSEN as its new manager on Wednesday. Mathijssen replaces BOB PEETERS, “who was fired on Tuesday” (LA MEUSE, 9/14). ... Estonia has named its most-capped player MARTIN REIM as "national team coach to replace Swede MAGNUS PEHRSSON who stepped down on Wednesday." The 45-year-old Reim, who won 157 caps from '92 to '09, has coached the Baltic country's U21 and U23 teams and "will now steer their World Cup qualifying campaign" (REUTERS, 9/14).
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: PHIL SIMMONS has been "fired as head coach of the West Indies, six months after guiding the team to the World T20 title." The West Indies Cricket Board said that "differences in culture and strategic approach" were behind the decision to terminate Simmons' contract after 18 months in charge. The WICB said that it decided to separate from Simmons at a meeting of the board of directors on Saturday, “based on the public pronouncements of the coach and the approach internally.” Team Manager JOEL GARNER and coaches HENDERSON SPRINGER and RODDY ESTWICK will "take charge of the team" (THE HINDU, 9/14). Former West Indies captain DARREN SAMMY has criticized the WICB for sacking Simmons. On his Facebook page, Sammy wrote, "So after the publicity stunt in Fort Lauderdale the first so call plan to move West Indies Cricket forward is to Fire the Coach just 2 days before a tour. Just prove to me what I already knew. If the blind leads the blind they are bound to fall in a pit" (THE NATIONAL, 9/14).
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