All bets about Pep Guardiola’s next move in football were off after Manchester City confirmed that the hottest managerial property in world football will join the Premier League club on a three-year contract from next season. The decision leaves current City coach Manuel Pellegrini in a potentially awkward limbo until the end of the season, though the Chilean seemed sanguine: “The club are not doing anything behind me, I knew this one month ago, but I don’t think it’s good to have rumour or speculation about these things,” he said. City, meanwhile, have been drawn away to Chelsea in the standout tie of the FA Cup fifth round after the previous round produced few shocks. Chelsea did have a little surprise for their veteran captain John Terry, however; the club are releasing him at the end of the season. Meanwhile, desperate clubs plonked huge piles of cash in front of players of varying quality as the midwinter transfer window closed. Newcastle spent £12m on temperamental Spurs winger Andros Townsend, while Everton splashed out £13.5m on Senegal striker Oumar Niasse
Clarke eyed T20 comeback
Five months after his red-eyed retirement from cricket, Australia’s former captain Michael Clarke is on the comeback trail. The 34-year-old, who stepped aside after last year’s Ashes defeat to England, is eyeing a stint in the shorter-form but potentially lucrative T20 game: “It’s the one area that I certainly feel like I haven’t fulfilled my potential,” he said, eyeing his empty wallet. Australia may follow his progress with interest after losing their T20 series to India with next month’s World Cup fast approaching. There was less cheering news for former Australia bowler Shane Warne, whose eponymously titled philanthropic foundation shut down amid a Victorian state government probe into its finances, after the charity failed to file an annual return in October.
Rowing like record-breakers
A team named Row Like A Girl turned the implied connotation on its head, becoming the youngest and fastest all-female rowing crew ever to cross the Atlantic. The four British women – Gee Purdy, Bella Collins, Lauren Morton, and Olivia Bolesworth – completed the 4,300km journey from the Canary Islands to Antigua in 40 days: “The feeling though of pure ecstasy to see the finishing line made it all worth it,” said Purdy. Row Like A Girl finished second of the 26 entrants in the Atlantic Challenge, behind the winning Ocean Reunion crew comprised of four male rowers.
Will MLB pitch up in London?
American football has made a profitable second home for itself in London in recent years, while basketball’s NBA and ice hockey’s NHL have also staged games there. Now Major League Baseball is eyeing a stint in the UK capital: “We are very interested in playing there, and we’re working hard on that one,” admitted MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who said any potential London game would be likely to be held in late summer.
