Pellegrini takes over Hebei China Fortune

Former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has assumed the helm of Hebei China Fortune, following three months of unemployment.

The Chilean was removed from his role at City in May, as the outfit opted to appoint Pep Guardiola in his stead. During his time in Manchester, Pellegrini won a Premier League title and hoisted the League Cup twice.

He succeeds ex-Everton midfielder Li Tie at Hebei and will oversee a fifth-placed team that features familiar names such as Gervinho, Stephane Mbia, and Gael Kakuta.

The Chinese Super League's notoriety has raised exponentially over the past year, due to vast sums its clubs have splurged on talent from Europe and elsewhere around the world. It's been attracting more than just notable players, too, with Pellegrini now set for technical tussles in East Asia with Sven-Goran Eriksson, Felipe Scolari, and Felix Magath.

Hebei's next date comes in a visit from Scolari's Guangzhou Evergrande on Sept. 10.