ARSÈNE WENGER is "preparing to return to football" and will take up one of four job offers within a month. Wenger, 69, has told friends that he is "missing the day-to-day involvement of working with players and is itching to return to a job in the game." The Frenchman parted company with Arsenal at the end of last season. He is "considering" four job offers, one understood to be director of football at Paris St. Germain, another as the head coach of a national team and two from "leading clubs in Europe" (LONDON TIMES, 2/7). ... Sheffield United Women forward SOPHIE JONES was charged by the FA with "racially abusing" Tottenham's RENEE HECTOR. Hector claimed she "received some monkey noises from an opposition player" in an FA Women's Championship game between the teams on Jan. 6. Jones has until Feb. 15 to respond (BBC, 2/7). ... Former Australian int'l cricketer RICKY PONTING will join Australia's management team for the World Cup in England this summer (London TELEGRAPH, 2/7). ... ALEX SCOTT, MARCEL DESAILLY, NADINE KESSLER, MICHAEL ESSIEN, LAURA GEORGES and GILBERTO SILVA will be part of a 23-strong FIFA Legends squad for a campaign that will see the former players turned into superheroes on a mission to promote the Women's World Cup 2019 and the women's game in general (FIFA).
