CARLOS TEVEZ was the "highest paid player in the world" on a £650,000 ($899,200)-a-week deal at Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenua but labeled his time in China a "holiday." The former ManU striker was "roundly criticised for being overweight and disinterested during his time in the Far East." It seems those criticisms were "well founded," with Tevez admitting he did not take his time in the CSL "seriously" (London DAILY MAIL, 1/16). ... Cricketer BEN STOKES will be available for England's tour of New Zealand in February after the England & Wales Cricket Board ruled he "could play while defending himself against charges of affray." Stokes was charged, along with two other men, as a result of "an incident in Bristol last September." The ECB said that while the all-rounder is defending himself as part of the legal process, it "would not be fair" to continue his suspension from selection (Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH 1/17). ... EPL side Leicester City Manager CLAUDE PUEL said that he "liked video assistant refereeing" after his team became the first club in English football to "benefit from a VAR decision" in its FA Cup win over Fleetwood. KELECHI IHEANACHO's second goal in a 2-0 victory was "initially disallowed for offside, before being awarded 67 seconds after it hit the net." Puel said, "The time was not so long," but Fleetwood Manager UWE RÖSLER said, "I don't like it" (BBC, 1/16). ... The Chinese government is expected to send HAN ZHENG, "the seventh-highest-ranking Communist Party official," to the PyeongChang Games, according to diplomatic sources on Tuesday (CHOSUN, 1/17). ... Footballer ALEXIS SÁNCHEZ agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract worth £14M ($19.5M) after tax to join ManU. Sánchez is "now just waiting to find out" if HENRIKH MKHITARYAN "will agree a switch in the other direction to Arsenal, which would trigger his move to Old Trafford" (London TELEGRAPH, 1/17). ... Cyclist CHRIS FROOME "should not race" until the probe into his adverse analytical finding for salbutamol has concluded, according to French rival ROMAIN BARDET. The four-time Tour de France winner denied breaking any rules, saying that he was advised by a Team Sky doctor "to take more than the usual number of puffs of his inhaler" but that he "knew the limits very well and was certain he had never exceeded them" (London TELEGRAPH, 1/16).
RONALDINHO RETIRES: Brazilian int'l RONALDINHO retired from football, "although he has not played a game" since '15. Ronaldinho, 37, was part of the triumphant Brazil 2002 World Cup squad, won the Champions League in '06 with Barcelona and won the Ballon d'Or in '05. His brother and agent, ROBERTO ASSIS, confirmed the retirement on Tuesday and announced "a series of tribute events" (BBC, 1/16).
