La Liga side Sporting Gijón named MIGUEL TORRECILLA its new sporting director. Torrecilla left Real Betis to join Sporting, and replaces NICO RODRÍGUEZ (EFE, 5/29). ... League Championship side Leeds United appointed ANGUS KINNEAR as managing director. Angus joined the club after spending the past three years as managing director at EPL side West Ham United (Leeds United). ... KIRSTEN CALLAGHAN, who was Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock’s club secretary for eight years, was appointed the club’s new CEO. Callaghan will join Kilmarnock on a full-time basis in July (BBC, 5/27).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Barcelona named former Athletic Bilbao Manager ERNESTO VALVERDE its new head coach on Monday. The former Barça forward announced last week that he was leaving Athletic after four years in charge (BBC, 5/29). ... JÉRÔME DARET was named head coach of the France national men’s rugby sevens team. Daret joins the national team from Pro D2 side Dax, where he was head of the academy. Daret succeeded FRÉDÉRIC POMAREL, who left the post after being in charge of the squad since ’10 (LE FIGARO, 5/29). ... JUAN CARLOS UNZUÉ returned to La Liga side Celta Vigo to succeed EDUARDO BERIZZO as manager, "further narrowing the field of candidates for the vacancy at Barcelona." Unzué -- the assistant to LUIS ENRIQUE at Barça "until the pair left the Nou Camp" over the weekend -- signed a two-year deal (SKY SPORTS, 5/28). ... Premier League side Watford appointed former Hull City Manager MARCO SILVA as its new manager on a two-year contract. Silva is the ninth Watford boss in five years and eighth since the POZZO family took over in '12 (BBC, 5/27). ... Czech club Sparta Prague appointed ANDREA STRAMACCIONI as its new coach. The Italian, who signed a two-year deal, is "just the fourth foreign coach to have worked in the Czech Republic's top division" (AP, 5/29). ... MAURICIO PELLEGRINO stepped down as coach of La Liga side Alaves. The former Argentina defender took charge of Alaves on a one-year deal last summer (PA, 5/29). ... NEIL MCCANN left Scottish Premiership side Dundee after "just over a month as interim manager" of the club. He “steered his side clear of relegation trouble” to finish 10th (BBC, 5/29). ... Russian Premier League side Zenit St. Petersburg sacked coach MIRCEA LUCESCU after the club “failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second straight year” (AP, 5/28). ... DOUGIE BROWN was appointed the full-time coach of the UAE national cricket team. He “takes over the reins” from AAQIB JAVED, the former Pakistan player (THE NATIONAL, 5/28).
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