Ligue 1 side Lille announced that its match on Friday against Lorient “will be the last for MICHEL SEYDOUX as president of the club.” The announcement “indirectly confirms the transfer of the club to Spanish-Luxembourg businessman GÉRARD LOPEZ,” who signed a memorandum of understanding with Seydoux on Dec. 22 to purchase Lille (L’ÉQUIPE, 1/9). ... SAM ALLARDYCE appointed his former England assistant SAMMY LEE as his "number two" at EPL side Crystal Palace. The 57-year-old, who also worked under Allardyce at League One side Bolton, "left the England set-up after GARETH SOUTHGATE's four games as interim boss" (BBC, 1/10). ... Australian former tennis player NICK LINDAHL "has been banned for seven years" and fined $35,000 for match-fixing. The Tennis Integrity Unit said that Lindahl "plotted to throw a match at a minor Australian tournament" in '13. Two other Australian players, BRANDON WALKIN and ISAAC FROST, "were also disciplined over the incident" (BBC, 1/10). ... Former Haas Formula 1 driver ESTEBAN GUTIERREZ will compete in the Formula E race in his native Mexico after losing his seat for the '17 F1 season. Gutierrez, 25, failed to score a point in '16 and was replaced by KEVIN MAGNUSSEN as ROMAIN GROSJEAN's partner (BBC, 1/9). ... Former India cricket captain MOHAMMAD AZHARUDDIN decided to file his nomination for the post of president in the Hyderabad Cricket Association. Citing the Lodha Panel Recommendations that have "paved the way for new faces to enter cricket administration," he said, "I want to serve Hyderabad cricket. ... I want to ensure that cricket flourishes in Telangana" (THE HINDU, 1/10). ... A statue of LIONEL MESSI was vandalized in Buenos Aires on Monday. The figure, "which was constructed in an attempt to help" convince the player to return to the national team "during his brief retirement" this summer, was found missing its top half. Officials in the Argentine capital said that "repairs have already begun" (ESPN.com, 1/10).
RONALDO EDGES MESSI: Real Madrid's CRISTIANO RONALDO was named the world's best player at the inaugural Best FIFA Football Awards in Zurich. Ronaldo, 31, beat Barcelona's LIONEL MESSI and Atlético Madrid's ANTOINE GRIEZMANN "to the prize." CARLI LLOYD of the U.S. was named the world's best female player. EPL side Leicester City Manager CLAUDIO RANIERI was named the best men's coach, ex-Germany boss SILVIA NEID won the female coach award and Malaysian side Penang's MOHD FAIZ SUBRI received the Puskas award for the best goal of '16 (BBC, 1/9).
