Leeds United defender named in betting scandal — what this could mean for the club legally — Leeds Press 11/4/25

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by Kwadwo Hemeng

Leeds United have had a strong connection to Italy in the past few years. Two of the club’s majority shareholders in the past have been Italians.

In 2014, Massimo Cellino and his family consortium Eleonora Sport Ltd agreed to purchase a 75% majority stake in Leeds United. The Football League rejected the proposal, but Cellino appealed the decision and eventually won. He took control of the club, and his time in charge was filled with controversy.

Andrea Radrizzani was the next Italian to buy a majority stake in the club, acquiring Cellino’s shares and becoming the full owner. His time at the club was memorable, as Leeds bought back Elland Road and were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in decades.

Now, Leeds United are in the news in Italy for the wrong reasons. According to reports from the region, a major betting scandal has been uncovered. Leeds defender Junior Firpo was named among up to 14 players set to be under investigation. Corriere della Sera has named Firpo in a long list of names including Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali and former Leeds loanee Weston McKennie.

USMNT star McKennie was on loan at Elland Road for the 2022/23 season.

The report claims these players are under investigation for illegal online betting. There’s no evidence that Firpo and other players involved ever gambled on football games. Their names were only listed after findings when some suspects were interviewed.

What does this mean for the club?

As of now, nothing criminal has been discovered in the findings. The report says that the potential punishment for investigated players is a fine of around €250 if found guilty. The Italian Football Federation could open a new investigation, to find out if any of the players mentioned gambled on football matches.

If found guilty, the ban could be extensive. In 2023, Sandro Tonali was banned from playing football for 10 months for breaching Italian betting regulations. The Football Association also handed Tonali a suspended ban.

Since Firpo has not been charged yet, he can continue playing for Leeds United. But if he is found guilty later, he could face a lengthy ban. Football Association rules in England prohibit players from engaging in betting activity on football matches.

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