Brasileiro side Chapecoense will sign up to 20 new players for next season and "reserve shirt numbers for the players who survived a plane crash." Nineteen players and coaching staff were killed in November "when their plane crashed on the way to the final of the Copa Sudamericana." Club Football Dir Rui Costa said, "We are resorting to a lot of loans. That is a tool for bringing together quality, speed and budget. Many clubs are being partners in this" (BBC, 1/3).
The new Chinese owners of Ligue 2 side Sochaux have the “sufficient guaranteed funds,” according to the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG), to continue next season. The French football regulator “gave the green light” to Sochaux after the club received a new contribution of funds from Tech Pro, parent company of Sochaux managing company Ledus (L’ÉQUIPE, 1/3).
Superleague side Panathinaikos, the oldest active football club in Greece, "has set up its own esports division." The Athens club "plans to take part in competitions" for League of Legends, Starcraft, Dota2, CS:GO, FIFA 17 and NBA2K. After asking fans on Facebook for feedback, Panathinaikos "will begin its esports venture with League of Legends." The announcement makes Panathinaikos the 26th professional team "to add an esports element to its operations" (ESPORTS BETTING REPORT, 1/3).
Women's Super League 1 side Chelsea Ladies signed U.S. int'l Crystal Dunn "from American side Washington Spirit." The 24-year-old winger "becomes the fourth signing of the transfer window" for the club. Dunn, who won the U.S. Golden Boot award while playing for the Spirit in '15, "has agreed a contract with Chelsea" until '18 (BBC, 1/3).
Four Chelsea fans accused of aggravated violence against a black man on the Paris Metro "have been given suspended one-year sentences by a French court." They were also ordered to pay the victim €10,000 ($10,460) in compensation. The hearing at the Palais de Justice "saw a video recorded by a passenger of fans pushing him off the Metro train" (BBC, 1/3).
