League Championship side Barnsley Owner PATRICK CRYNE "will step down from his duties at Oakwell as he receives treatment for cancer," the club announced. Cryne, 65, took control at Barnsley following his takeover in '04 and the club has been "debt-free during his time at the helm." Barnsley said in a statement, "LINTON BROWN has been appointed chief executive of the Barnsley FC board with immediate effect. ROBERT ZUK will be appointed to the board as finance director in due course" (PA, 11/7). ... One Championship announced Japanese exec YOSHIAKI ITO as president of One Championship Japan. The promotion looks to expand the competition's reach into the country and other Asian nations in the near future. Ito is the founder of X-Tank Consulting, former CEO of Haier Asia Group and a former senior VP at Sony Pictures (One Championship). ... ESPN named former Singtel TV Sports Content & Programming Dir JOYEE BISWAS head of Southeast Asia. Biswas will be based in ESPN's offices in Singapore and report to Managing Dir & VP/ESPN APAC MIKE MORRISON. The net also promoted KELLY COOKE to GM of North Asia, BOWEN DOU to coordinating producer of int'l production, MICHAEL HUANG to deputy editor for digital & print media and MARC MALLETT to APAC director of sponsorship & ad sales (ESPN).
COACHES/MANAGERS: After firing DENIS ZANKO on Monday, Ligue 2 side Stade Lavallois named MARCO SIMONE head coach. He signed a two-year contract, and brought his assistant coach ANDRÉA LIGUORI with him (Stade Lavallois). ... Ligue 1 side Lorient named BERNARD CASONI as head coach of its first team until the end of the season. The former French int’l has managed Olympique de Marseille, Bastia and Evian TGFC (Lorient). ... RUBÉN BARAJA is the new coach of Spanish second division side Rayo Vallecano. He replaces JOSÉ RAMÓN SANDOVAL (AS, 11/8). ... Argentine first division side Temperley coach CARLOS MAYOR "admitted that he was suprised to find out that he had been sacked." The decision to fire Mayor "comes one week after club President HERNÁN LEWIN resigned after being pressured by the club's barra brava (fan gang)" (LOS ANDES, 11/8). ... Inter Milan named former Lazio boss STEFANO PIOLI as its new coach. The 51-year-old signed a contract until the end of June '18 at the Italian club, which sacked FRANK DE BOER on Nov. 1 "after 85 days in charge." He is Inter's "ninth manager since JOSE MOURINHO left the club after winning the Champions League" in '10 (BBC, 11/8). ... La Liga side Osasuna sacked coach ENRIQUE MARTIN "with the club second from the bottom" in the league. A club statement said, "After the meeting this afternoon of the board and the sporting management of Osasuna, the club has decided to relieve from office the coach Enrique Martin." The 60-year-old Martin has a "long connection with Osasuna as a player and a manager." He made over 250 appearances for the club from '77-88, and was in his "third spell in charge of the first team" (PA, 11/7).
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