Marwan Koukashgetty images
Former Super League side Salford Red Devils Owner MARWAN KOUKASH wrote off the outstanding debt owed to him by the club. The 59-year-old initially made the pledge in May after the club said that it looked "increasingly vulnerable" following Koukash's decision to hand control to a community trust in '17 (BBC, 11/27). ... Britain's PRINCE WILLIAM paid a personal tribute to late EPL side Leicester City Owner VICHAI SRIVADDHANAPRABHA during a visit on Wednesday with his wife, KATE, to the team's stadium, "where the Thai billionaire was killed in a helicopter crash last month." William, president of the FA, and Kate, who both knew Srivaddhanaprabha, met the club owner's wife, son and daughter at a dedicated tribute site "bedecked in flowers, scarves and flags set up in his memory near to where the accident occurred" (REUTERS, 11/28). ... Former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland striker ROBBIE KEANE retired from professional football. Keane, 38, scored 68 goals in 146 int'l appearances and was recently named as part of new Republic of Ireland Manager MICK MCCARTHY's backroom team (BBC, 11/28). ... Serie A side Sampdoria President MASSIMO FERRERO had his assets seized and was arrested "over financial crimes" by Italian authorities. Among the transactions "under the microscope" are the transfer of midfielder PEDRO OBIANG to EPL side West Ham, from which €1.2M has "allegedly gone missing from the Serie A club's accounts." There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of the east London side (London INDEPENDENT, 11/28). ... Academy Award winner NATALIE PORTMAN stopped by Australian Football League side Melbourne Demons' preseason training. In town for this weekend's NGV Gala, Portman took time to "check out" how the club was coming along. Portman's best friend, a "big Demons supporter," was the reason behind the star's visit (THE AGE, 11/28).
