Massimo Cellino will appeal against the Football League’s decision to block his proposed takeover of Leeds United, his lawyers have confirmed.
The Italian has owned Serie A side Cagliari for 20 years, and he had agreed a £25million deal with current owners Gulf Finance for a majority stake of the Elland Road club. However, the Football League refused to sanction the deal after the tax evasion conviction he received in his homeland meant he failed their Owners and Directors Test.
Cellino, though, has already revealed he intends to appeal this decision, as he feels he has a responsibility to the fans who have backed his bid. And now his UK lawyers, Mishcon de Reya, have confirmed this, by telling the Yorkshire Evening Post on Wednesday afternoon:
“Mr Cellino will be appealing the decision. We have no further comment.”
Cellino, 57, has spent around £10million on the Whites in recent months, and upon hearing the Football League’s decision earlier this week, he told The Guardian: “I’m not a dishonest man. If they say I did this I am stupid. Why would I do something like this, because I am a fool, I am stupid. There’s different justice in Italy, I prefer the English way but I am in Italy unfortunately. I pay millions and millions at clubs and they [the courts] say I tried to screw them over for a small amount. It’s stupid. I could pay that tomorrow.
“I am not a dishonest crook. If I made a mistake it was not on purpose. I’m shocked, I’m very shocked. I feel like I will disappear, I am so ashamed of myself you have no idea. It’s not about the money at the moment. I didn’t try and do anything bad to Leeds, to anyone, I just wanted to do something good. I’m so shocked that I feel like I will jump from the window right now. I feel so ashamed. Why did they take two months to wait for the decision of the Italian court. I could have delayed the trial for one or two years if I had wanted.”
Any chances of Leeds clinching a place in the Championship playoffs, meanwhile, are all but over following a 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening. This was their fourth loss in five fixtures, and it leaves them in 14th position in the standings and some 12 points adrift of sixth-placed Reading with nine matches of the season remaining.
Manager Brian McDermott believes the takeover talk has had an effect on performances on the pitch, although he is refusing to use this as an excuse for their recent form. But at the same time, he feels the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club, and everything associated with it, is taking its toll on his players at a crucial stage of the season.
“We need to get the ownership of this club sorted out and get the right person in who has some clout,” he told BBC Radio Leeds. “Let’s not make excuses, we need to address what’s happening on the pitch, but what is going on off-the-field does affect the players. All of the talk is about are we going to get paid and it has been going on now for a long time.”
