On Thursday, Andrea Radrizzani did his best to help Leeds United fans forget all about Massimo Cellino with a nice little controversy of his own by taking to Twitter and calling out Wolverhampton’s ties to Jorge Mendes after his club suffered a 3-0 defeat at Elland Road.
Backtracking somewhat later on with a statement, the Italian didn’t exactly cover himself in glory, yet it’s nothing compared to the spotlight the previous owner thrust the club under.
From day one, Cellino’s time in control of the Championship side was always going to be problematic due to his past history in Italy, and, on Friday, the now Brescia owner, gave us a nice reminder of just why Leeds are better off without him overseeing finances.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, he said: “When I arrived in England, then immediately made me infamous, presenting me like a tax evader because of the first instance conviction, forgetting that in Italy, a sentence only becomes definitive after judgement is passed.
“I resisted everything and it was worth it. I recommend anyone to go and see a game at Elland Road: the atmosphere of English clubs is enviable. And then, there’s an obligation for the books to be in order, the wages must be paid every week, budgets are always under control. If you mess up, you go out of business the next morning”.
Wait, surely that’s the same everywhere? Not just in England?
Since taking over, Cellino hasn’t exactly been able to turn Brescia’s fortunes around, with the side currently 16th in Serie B, just two points above the relegation zone
It’s only his first season there, and perhaps he’ll have better luck next year, and if his track record (Leeds included) is anything to go by, he’ll go through five managers between now and then.
