The Belgian Football Federation (URBSFA) named KOEN DE BRABANDER general secretary. De Brabander, 52, comes from audit and consulting firm BDO (URBSFA). ... Puma North America President & GM JAY PICCOLA will retire effective mid-'17 after nearly 20 years with the company. He will remain non-exec director to Puma's BOD (Puma). ... GIANCARLO ANTOGNONI is "set to make a return" to Serie A side Fiorentina as VP. The 62-year-old ex-captain "will be free to leave his current position" with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in January, and then "will take up his position with the Viola, according to Corriere Fiorentino." The club has been "searching for a figure to fill a similar position" to the one deployed by JAVIER ZANETTI at Inter Milan for some time, with RUI COSTA "previously one of the names linked to the VP spot" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 11/2). ... Argentine first division side Temperley President HERNÁN LEWIN resigned "due to pressure from the team's barra brava (fan gang)." He said in a statement that "he believes the decision is best for the future of the club" (DYN, 11/2). ... Bolivian Football Federation First VP MARCO PEREDO and Treasurer CLIVER ROCHA resigned following the sanctions imposed by FIFA on the FBF for fielding an ineligible player in two 2018 World Cup qualifiers. FBF President ROLANDO LÓPEZ "confirmed that he will not step down" (TÉLAM, 11/2).
COACHES/MANAGERS: The Brazilian football confederation named former player EMILY LIMA to replace OSWALDO ALVAREZ as the women's national team head coach. Lima will debut on Dec. 7 in a tournament in Manaus "when Brazil faces Costa Rica." Brazil will also play Russia and Italy. As a coach, Lima took her Brazilian women's club São José to a runner-up finish last month in the Brazilian Cup (AP, 11/2). ... Russian top-flight club Ural Yekaterinburg coach VADIM SKRIPCHENKO resigned on Tuesday, two days after a 4-1 home defeat to Terek Grozny "which has raised suspicions of match-fixing." He said that his decision has "nothing to do with the match against Grozny." Russian media reported that the match was the "subject of unusual betting patterns" -- with the score at 1-1 at halftime, odds for a Ural win "suddenly increased while odds on Terek, who are fourth in the table, plunged" (AFP, 11/1).
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