Leeds United: Cellino ready to meet league
Yorkshire Evening Post 12/2/14
by Phil Hay
Massimo Cellino was heading for talks with the Football League today despite illness forcing him to miss Leeds United’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton last night.
The 57-year-old was notable by his absence as a second-half goal from Brighton’s Leonardo Ulloa inflicted a 12th league defeat on United at The Amex, but he and the Football League are expected to meet as planned today to discuss his 75 per cent buy-out of Leeds.
The governing body will host Cellino in London, though a final decision on whether to approve his £25m takeover is unlikely to be taken at the meeting.
Manager Brian McDermott, whose side remain five points short of the play-offs after their loss in Sussex, admitted he was no closer to knowing when the takeover saga at United would be resolved, saying: “No-one’s given us a timescale at all.
“The Italian consortium are meeting the Football League but you know as much as I do. I don’t think he was well tonight which is the reason he wasn’t at the game. I haven’t scheduled to meet with him yet.”
At least one of Cellino’s family members was in attendance at The Amex where Ulloa’s deflected effort on 64 minutes settled a tight, uneventful game.
Leeds missed an opportunity to climb to within two points of sixth place in the Championship and a frustrated McDermott said: “It was 0-0 game. It should have been a 0-0 draw.
“There was nothing in the game and a deflected goal made the difference. That’s the Championship for you. This is what the Championship is all about – tight games, and you want to come out on top in those tight games.
“I thought we were worth a point but we didn’t control the ball possession-wise and we didn’t do enough when we went 1-0 down.
“Going forward, we know we need to be better.”
by Phil Hay
Massimo Cellino was heading for talks with the Football League today despite illness forcing him to miss Leeds United’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton last night.
The 57-year-old was notable by his absence as a second-half goal from Brighton’s Leonardo Ulloa inflicted a 12th league defeat on United at The Amex, but he and the Football League are expected to meet as planned today to discuss his 75 per cent buy-out of Leeds.
The governing body will host Cellino in London, though a final decision on whether to approve his £25m takeover is unlikely to be taken at the meeting.
Manager Brian McDermott, whose side remain five points short of the play-offs after their loss in Sussex, admitted he was no closer to knowing when the takeover saga at United would be resolved, saying: “No-one’s given us a timescale at all.
“The Italian consortium are meeting the Football League but you know as much as I do. I don’t think he was well tonight which is the reason he wasn’t at the game. I haven’t scheduled to meet with him yet.”
At least one of Cellino’s family members was in attendance at The Amex where Ulloa’s deflected effort on 64 minutes settled a tight, uneventful game.
Leeds missed an opportunity to climb to within two points of sixth place in the Championship and a frustrated McDermott said: “It was 0-0 game. It should have been a 0-0 draw.
“There was nothing in the game and a deflected goal made the difference. That’s the Championship for you. This is what the Championship is all about – tight games, and you want to come out on top in those tight games.
“I thought we were worth a point but we didn’t control the ball possession-wise and we didn’t do enough when we went 1-0 down.
“Going forward, we know we need to be better.”