The 55-year-old has led four different clubs out of Serie B into the top flight, although he has never coached any of Italy’s biggest clubs or won a major title. Montella, who was in charge for eight months, was sacked on Saturday after a 4-1 home defeat by AS Roma which extended Fiorentina’s winless run to seven matches and left them 15th in Serie A with 17 points, three clear of the relegation zone.
* Javier Tebas was reelected president of La Liga on Monday with a four-year mandate, after running unopposed. Tebas has led the Spanish football league since 2013 and resigned earlier in December to trigger new elections.
* Leicester City's top-of-the-table clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Thursday will be a true measure of where they stand this season, manager Brendan Rodgers said on Monday. Leicester, second in the table, lost 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield in October when James Milner scored a stoppage time penalty and Rodgers said he hoped the home crowd would spur them on against a side that are still unbeaten in the league.
* Son Heung-min's unavailability due to a three-match ban for a red card in Sunday's 2-0 Premier League defeat by Chelsea is a big loss for Tottenham Hotspur, manager Jose Mourinho said on Monday. Son kicked out in retaliation at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and referee Anthony Taylor produced a straight red card after a VAR review, leaving Spurs with 10 men for the last half hour.
* Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said on Monday that he was planning to stay with the Premier League club next season amid talk that he would leave the champions at the end of the current campaign. The Spaniard, who has never managed a club for more than four years, denied reports earlier this month that his contract until 2021 contained a 'break clause' that could allow him to leave at the end of the season.
* West Ham United goalkeepers Lukasz Fabianski and David Martin are recovering well from hip muscle injuries and both players could play a role over the festive period, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Monday.
* Everton's ambition to be among the Premier League's elite is what convinced new manager Carlo Ancelotti to take up the role at the Merseyside club, the Italian said on Monday. Ancelotti, one of Europe's most successful coaches who also managed Chelsea in England, left Napoli this month and replaced Portuguese Marco Silva who was sacked after a 5-2 loss to local rivals Liverpool left them in the relegation zone.
* Barcelona have retained their position as the world's best paid professional sports team while National Basketball Association sides took seven out of the top 10 places this year, a study by research body Sporting Intelligence has revealed. Data from the annual Global Sports Salary Survey shows the average basic pay at the Spanish giants this season is £9.8 million (US$12.75 million), dipping slightly from last year's £10.5 million.
* Espanyol sacked coach Pablo Machin on Monday after a 2-0 defeat by relegation rivals Leganes which left them bottom of La Liga. Machin's side were comfortably beaten at Butarque on Sunday to leave them five points from safety.
* Ferrari have extended Charles Leclerc's Formula One contract to the end of the 2024 season, the Italian team announced on Monday. The 22-year-old Monegasque won two races this year, his first season with Ferrari, and took more pole positions than any other driver.
* AC Milan's dream of returning to the elite of European football looked more distant than ever after they gave what their own director described as an "embarrassing" performance in a 5-0 defeat to Atalanta on Sunday. The seven-times European champions were outplayed in every department as they reached the Christmas break in eleventh place in Serie A - a familiar part of the table for them over the last few seasons - and it was difficult to know where they will go next.
* Bayern Munich defender Javi Martinez faces at least six weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a muscle injury in Saturday's 2-0 Bundesliga victory over VfL Wolfsburg, interim manager Hansi Flick has said. The 31-year-old Spaniard suffered the injury to his right thigh and had to be substituted before halftime.
* Former world no.1 Caroline Wozniacki and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams will play on the same side of the net at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, according to the tournament's official website.
* Premier League club Everton presented its plans for a new "world class stadium" to city hall in Liverpool on Monday. Planning officials will scrutinise the details of the 52,000-seater stadium on the banks of the River Mersey before it goes before the planning committee next year for a decision.
