Benito Carbone opens up on 'criminal' treatment from ex-Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino - Leeds Live 27/2/23

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The former Premier League star had an advisory role at Elland Road before suddenly being sacked by the former Whites owner.

Former Premier League star Benito Carbone has accused ex-Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino of treating him 'like a criminal' when he was sacked from his role as a special consultant at the Whites back in 2014.

The Italian, who had stints with Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Bradford, only spent a few months at Elland Road and Thorp Arch trying to help rebuild the club's academy but was swiftly fired when Cellino came into the club.

Now Carbone has spoken about what it was like being on the Italian businessman's chopping block, and how he didn't even tell him he was sacked in person.

"Massimo Cellino was really, really hard to work with," Carbone told William Hill. "I don’t want to offend him, but he’s a difficult person. I remember talking with my agent and discovering that Cellino sacked around 65 staff from the club from when I was there – some people who had worked there for decades. People were crying in the dressing room.

"I had recently signed a contract to be coach of the under-21s just before pre-season, but when pre-season ended, Cellino wanted to change everything – as always. He sent me a letter and sacked me.

"He wanted to show everybody that he wasn’t just sacking English people, but also the people who were close to him. One day he actually sent security to escort me out of the academy, it was like I was a criminal. It was horrible."

Despite going through seven managers during the two years he owned Leeds, Cellino's quick trigger finger is not something that went away when he sold the Whites to Andrea Radrizzani back in 2016.

While he now owns Serie B club Brescia, he's now sacked and rehired the same manager three times this season, while firing two more and bringing in another in an incredible display of impatience.

Carbone then added that the manner in which Cellino simply cut him off severely affected his mental health in the following months away from the club.

"I was depressed for six months; he absolutely killed me. I couldn’t see the reason for him to treat me like that, especially as I worked for free for six months – I did everything with passion just to show him that I was ready to do tasks.

"He was happy with me during that time; he would send messages to my agent saying that I was doing really well and that I was a great person. And then suddenly, he changes his mind, as he does with everyone.

"I tried to call him after he sacked me, and so did my agent, but he never answered either of us. He only sent me the letter."

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