German int'l and Bayern Munich striker MARIO GOMEZ "will leave the treble-winning squad and join Serie A club AC Fiorentina after long negotiations." Bayern Munich "made the official announcement on Monday afternoon." German and Italian media outlets report a transfer fee between €15M-€16M ($19.3M-$20.5M) for the 27-year-old, which is less than Bayern's original demand of €20M ($25.7M) (SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG, 7/8). ... Former Argentine First Division side Boca Juniors player GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO on Sunday expressed his excitement after seeing the bronze statue of him built outside the club's museum. Schelotto played for the club from '97-07 and his statue joins those of former Boca stars including DIEGO MARADONA (CLARIN, 7/7). ... Former South African Premier Soccer League side Platinum Stars Chair FLOYD "JOMO" MBELE has renewed ties with the Orlando Pirates. Pirates Chair IRVIN KHOZA and Mbele met on Thursday. It was "decided that Mbele will be in charge of Pirates' administration -- the job he excelled in before leaving the club" in '11. Mbele returns after SENZO MAZINGIZA left to join Dikwena as Football GM "after being offered a five-year contract" (SOWETAN LIVE, 7/8). ... Super Rugby Melbourne Rebels "have continued their end-of-season clean-out" by sacking head coach DAMIEN HILL. Hill will be replaced by former Munster coach TONY MCGAHAN, who joins on a two-year deal, the team said. Hill's dismissal "adds to sweeping changes to the Rebels roster," with captain GARETH DELVE and backs NICK PHIPPS and COOPER VUNA "among a raft of players departing" (REUTERS, 7/8). ... After the Australian Rugby Union released coach ROBBIE DEANS "from his two-year contract six months early," EWEN MCKENZIE will coach the Wallabies at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. McKenzie will "be unveiled as early as Tuesday ad Deans' replacement" (THE AGE, 7/9). Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia coach and former European Footballer of the Year HRISTO STOICHKOV resigned on Monday "after only a month in charge of the troubled Bulgarian club, saying he had lost faith in the owners and their 'endless lies.'" Stoichkov: "I'm fed up, I"m leaving" (REUTERS, 7/8).
