Cellino

I like Cellino, he has done well just to keep Cagliari in Serie A so long. And especially since they won`t let him build a new stadium. Yes he fires managers quick but so does Roman Abramovic and that has not done Chelski any harm. Anyway thought you might be interested in this from http://www.football-italia.net/44838/cellino-more-meets-eye


football-italia

Cellino - more than meets the eye
Massimo Cellino is close to finalising his proposed takeover of Leeds United. Luca Cetta profiles the eccentric owner and wonders if fan consternation is warranted.

It looked to be headed south before the adventure actually began. Late last week news filtered through that Leeds boss Brian McDermott was sacked. He was not on the bench a day later as Leeds thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-1. The finger was pointed at Massimo Cellino, their potential new owner. Cellino has agreed to buy 75 per cent of the club - was this the first step in a rocky journey?

Not according to the man himself. “I want the Coach back and have been trying to call him,” Cellino claimed last weekend. “I don’t mind this Coach. How could I sack anyone anyway? I need the approval of the Football League before I own the club. GFH are still running Leeds United.”

Rumours of an impending takeover have been brewing for weeks. On Saturday, Leeds released a statement acknowledging an agreement had been reached between GFH Capital and the Italian entrepreneur. This is not the first time Cellino has showed interest in English football. In 2010 he was close to taking over West Ham. The deal fell through, as did a potential bid for Crystal Palace.

A barricade of angry fans protested the McDermott decision on Friday – the manager has since returned – and perhaps they can be forgiven for thinking Cellino will bring more negativity than rebuild towards a Premier League future.

After all, stories of his fiery and outspoken nature are well documented. He plays guitar in a local band, but when not slinging that axe, he wields one precariously over the head of Cagliari’s tacticians. In two decades, 36 have come and gone.

The Chain-smoker has been frustrated by Cagliari’s stadium debacle. When the Stadio Sant’Elia was deemed incapable of hosting Serie A football in 2012, Cellino shifted Rossoblu home fixtures to Trieste, about as far away as you can get.

Trieste last season shared home duties with the hastily-built Is Arenas. The stadium’s short history was punctuated by safety issues and a reduced capacity. It was slapped with a fan-ban for the visit of Roma, but undeterred, Cellino insisted spectators come anyway. The match was called off and Roma handed the points.

Its construction sent Cellino to jail last February - not his only brush with the law - for suspicion of fraud and embezzlement, along with the mayor of Quartu Sant’Elena, where the stadium is located. “Twelve months after my arrest, I still do not know why I was arrested. I am being made out to be a criminal, but in 21 years I have never disrespected anyone,” he said in a recent interview.

Cellino has frozen players from the first-team squad who have expressed a desire to leave at the end of their contract. Federico Marchetti went from representing Italy at the 2010 World Cup to training on his own in a matter of weeks. Michel Agazzi suffered the fate and was sold to Chievo last month. In Cellino’s mind he, nor the club, are to be taken for a ride.

That’s the other side of Cellino. At the core is a person who loves Cagliari. Born in the city – but now residing in Miami – he has owned the club since 1992. Together through highs and lows. Cagliari were UEFA Cup semi-finalists in 1993-94, but twice suffered relegation to Serie B. Since their 2003-04 promotion, the Isolani have remained in the top flight.

Of his Leeds interest, Cellino noted “I am not a hack, I do not go around buying teams just for fun.” It’s true too of Cagliari. He has poured money into the club for two decades and wants to see it grow. Unfortunately, the 57-year-old has been frustrated by the inability to get the proposed Karalis Stadium, near the city’s airport, from blueprints to steel.

He’s fed up with the lack of development. “We play in a stadium worthy of Serie C and the players had to travel all around Italy for two years because we weren't allowed a home stadium. I can’t keep Radja in these conditions,” alluding to the January transfer of Radja Nainggolan to Roma, despite the player’s desire to stay.

Local newspaper L’Unione Sarda last week reported talks between Cellino and Qatar Sports Investment. The report suggests if a takeover of Cagliari occurred, he’d like to remain President.

Back in England, Cellino has already fostered links between the clubs, loaning Andrea Tabanelli to Leeds. He claims were it not for paperwork hold ups, more deals would have gone through before the transfer deadline. Does he see the club in a similar fashion to the Pozzo-led Watford?

There’s no denying Cellino is somewhere in the Maurizio Zamparini category of Italian club owners. Yet disillusioned by calcio, Cellino’s arrival at Leeds could be the breath of fresh air he - and the club – need. It’s going to be some journey.

 

... and now it turns out he tried to buy Sheffield Wednesday as well before turning to Leeds ... so Wednesday obviously a better club to own in his eyes ... is this the second coming of "Bates"?

 

Could be our only hope now as it looks like we have just been set a date for court. Flowers has issued a winding up order, which he is completely in his rights to do.

Either way, as GFH owes money to just about everyone who has thrown there hat in the ring this is going to get messy.

 

He has nothing in common with Bates,is McCormack still at Leeds ? he's the best option for the club IMO And way better than the skint Manc and the wind Leeds up clan.All they have for the future is more turmoil pain and hands in our pockets.

 

I put up with Bates for long enough I can cope with this geezer

 

I won't be able to put up with him either but from what I've read over the last few days, he seems to be be the best out of a bad bunch.

 

Under Bates you made a profit for 6 consecutive seasons - under GFH you have lost £10M in their 1st year in charge and are in debt upto your eyeballs.

Say what you like about the old coont, he was much better for you than GFH - and forget about selling your best players blah blah blah - is your team any better than at ANY time Bates was owner?

 

Did we ? how come 8 million in future season ticket money was loaned and spent.Add to that the 20 million or so in player sales,that's 28 million pounds.and yes we have a better team than this time last season and we still have our top goalscorer and yours for that matter even if it is only 3 or is it 4.

 

Check the accounts and witness a loss each year if it were not for player sales and thats why we sold our best players

 

Cellino's by far the best option, hopefully his takeover will be ratified ASAP.

 

If Cellino buys Elland Road and Thorpe Arch and clears our debts our long term future and cash flow will improve beyond belief. Nobody wanted to deal with Bates and it seems nobody has the cash to fill the holes made by GFH rush this through before Cellino changes his mind.

Forget what a character he might be, he has the money and without it we might not have much of a club to support the way we are hemorrhaging money under GFH and IF we are still stuck with GFH at the end of this year don't expect to see Byram, Mowatt and Ross still with us.

Stability - We had more when Bates was here than what lays ahead under GFH

 

Looks like he has it anyway. Just hope he doesn't pull out or were screwed

 

TC, as a die-hard Leeds United fan you know better than what you have written.

Go back to the "#Winding Up Order" thread, then your post will be somewhat related to the topic.

 

Hope so,just hope the FL,dont **** up the whole thing,Shaun Harvey incharge!!!!!

 

ristac ... you don't just "forget what a character he might be" simply because of the colour of his money ... he lacks integrity, is a crook and we have NO FCUKING IDEA what his intentions are for our club ... now, you for one have always asked for transparency from owners, wanting to know what their plans are, seeking clarity and stability, and rightly so ... why are you blindly supporting Cellino even after his VICIOUS display on Friday? Do you GENUINELY believe Festa is the manager to take us forward? Understand this, Festa WILL replace McD the moment Cellino fires our very good manager ... for at least a decade now our club has been crying out for someone with integrity to lead our club, and now we have that man in McD, so I don't understand this minority wanting him out ... I genuinely fear for Leeds United with Cellino in charge ... so far the only reason for the HATRED of Haigh and whoever associates with him seems to be because he's a Tory, because NO ARGUMENT has effectively been made to the contrary ... the man has invested HIS OWN MONEY into helping our club, he helped fund our January signings, he helped fund McCormack signing a new contract, he's only ever done unselfish things to push our club forward, INCLUDING putting £1m into Leeds Ladies (and if you dismiss that gesture you are genuinely a fool) ... I just don't get it ... yes, you will somehow find a reason to diss Haigh, but by god, he is still a thousand times better than the lunatic that Cellino is ... the Italian has a questionable background, his track record at Cagliari is laughable, his treatment of managers despicable ... be under no illusions, Cellino will be an unmitigated disaster, we will have no stability, and we will be stuck with him because HE WON'T NEED TO SELL!!! Now, back to the burning issue for me ... backing Cellino because it means one of our Directors (a Tory) will be denied a place in our club is just mind numbing!! People need to wake up and stop this rubbish ... we are Leeds, not Westminster


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I'm very close to giving up hope for this club. It seems some fans want to see the club burn and whats scary is the number of fans that want Cellino in charge is increasing by the day.

 

Some irony if Harvey ultimately causes us to go under eh Este?

 

There's only you banging on about Haigh being a Tory, Billy. he's ****ed about for months now, he's had his chance and he looks to have blown it, and that **** Flowers has shown his true colours, I don't want a spiteful bastard like that running our club.
yes , I know you're gonna say Cellino is just that, but I'm not an expert on the man, so I don't know, I'd never really heard of him til now, unlike a lot of people on here

 

Billy,these consortiums can't fund the takeover,Flowers said he's been looking at it for over a year.
A bit like me looking at a ferrari in a shop window!
GFH are losing cash they can't sustain it,they are an investment bank.
Don Corleone ,it seems has the cash,I don't care about his past,the odd court case,let's face it most sucssefull buisseness men have seen a few.
The worry is the turnover of managers.

 

That is a worry but not the only worry that he represents. Our fanbase will diminish with him in charge