Cellino, who has until tomorrow to appeal against a Football League ban on him owning or directing the club for the duration of this season- imposed after a second conviction for tax evasion in Italy – said that he would be fighting it but refused to disclose the basis of an appeal.
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The Italian has been disqualified under the owners’ and directors’ test after being found guilty of an offence under Italian tax legislation relating to the non-payment of VAT in June.
The Italian, who has three further criminal cases against him still outstanding, had until October 28 to contest the punishment and he has submitted the necessary paperwork ahead of Wednesday’s deadline. It did not give a timescale for a decision.
The Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has told The Independent that he has “never heard” of the club’s highly-respected, long-standing welfare officer and female top-flight footballer whose sacking from the club he has sanctioned.
The Football League subsequently confirmed that Cellino had asked for the ban to be delayed while he fought his case.
The former Cagliari owner was eventually forced to resign from United’s board at the end of January, leaving ex-chairman Andrew Umbers in charge of day-to-day management of Leeds. Umbers resigned as a director earlier this month.
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Leeds have sacked head coach Uwe Rosler, bringing in Steve Evans, with Cellino promising to back the former Rotherham United boss in the transfer market. Who knows, but firing employees seems to be an occupational normality for a man such as Massimo Celino, a man known as ‘il mangia allenatori” or “the manager eater’. “I got there and drove around the stadium twice, I was so excited”.
