I like every word. On 5 Aug 2014 17:41, "Andy Clayton" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Interesting article in the Telegraph on Massimo. Words on Kenny tell a > tale. > > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leeds-united/11013554/Leeds-United-owner-Massimo-Cellino-tells-fans-We-will-do-this-my-way.html > > > Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino tells fans: 'We will do this my > way'Controversial > Italian, who initially failed the 'fit and proper person' test for > ownership is forthright and uncompromising in his approach to his > Championship club > > It was late on Saturday night, several hours after *Leeds United* > <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/Leeds-United/>’s friendly > win over Dundee United, and only one person was left at Elland Road. “There > were lights left on everywhere,” owner Massimo Cellino fumes. “I had to go > round and turn them all off, one by one. Unbelievable.” > > The 58-year-old was still unhappy about the game as he furiously paced the > corridors of the empty stadium. Unhappy with the players, who were “a long > way from where they need to be”. Unhappy with the new manager, Dave > Hockaday, who is “OK, but needs some babysitting”. Unhappy, even, with the > ball boys. > > “After 10 minutes of the match I said ‘where are the ball boys?’ The ball > boys were forgetting to bring the ball back.” > > If Cellino is like this after a friendly match, you wonder what he will be > like during the season, which begins with a trip to Millwall on Saturday > afternoon. An hour in the Italian’s presence feels like being caught in a > whirlwind. The former Cagliari owner smokes constantly, twitches, runs his > fingers through his hair nervously and talks furiously, barely giving you > the opportunity to interrupt his stream of invective. > > Is there another owner like this in English football? After all, this is a > man who spent 16 days in prison last year; who plays accomplished guitar > with his own band in front of crowds of thousands; and who is so > superstitious that he had all the No 17 seats removed from Cagliari’s > stadium because of a fear of the number. > > > He is also, of course, the first owner in English football to have failed > the ‘fit and proper person’ test, although the decision was eventually > overturned on appeal. In theory, the Football League could still bar him, > as the full judgment in the fraud case is yet to be released. “Everything > will be OK, I am going nowhere,” Cellino insists. > > Cellino finally bought the ailing *Championship* > <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/> > club > in April and quickly set about making his mark. There have been dozens of > redundancies, Brian McDermott was replaced as manager by the unknown > Hockaday, and the players were even made to bring in their own packed > lunches and do their own laundry at the start of pre-season. > > “The whole culture of this club needed to change and it’s still not right,” > he says. “We need passion, hard work and commitment from everyone, from the > cleaners to the players. At the moment I don’t see that.” > > The players were made to do double training sessions during pre-season and > have all been ordered to live in the city. > > “I told them that if you play for Leeds, you live in Leeds,” he says, > slamming the table with his palm. “Otherwise, I will fire you. And on > Fridays they will have to come to the hotel to eat together and sleep. > > “We have players living in Manchester, Liverpool, even Newcastle. Some were > late for games because of the traffic. There were 10 players who came to > the training ground last season to eat and shower before leaving without > even training. And no one said anything! Have you ever heard of anything > like this?” > > One player who has already fallen foul of these exacting standards is the > veteran goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who was excluded from the pre-season tour > to Italy and is now up for sale. > > “Kenny turned up for pre-season training 20lbs overweight,” Cellino says. > “Can you believe this? We offered him money to go. He said yes and then no. > So I sent Kenny a letter, telling him he has to move from Manchester to > Leeds and train six times a week, for three hours a day.” > > Kenny’s replacement, Marco Silvestre, is “a beautiful player, the best in > the Championship and one of the best in the whole country,” Cellino > insists. > > > There have been four other signings, all from Italy, and at least three > more are anticipated. Former Inter Milan and Sheffield Wednesday striker > Benito Carbone, brought in as a ‘technical consultant’ to oversee the > club’s academy, has gone the other way: his contract was terminated last > week and he returned to his family. > > “When Carbone first arrived in Leeds I told him we are guests in this > country and we have to respect these people,” Cellino explains. “I put > Carbone in charge of the academy, with Neil Redfearn as his boss. Carbone > didn’t like that Neil was his boss and tried to take advantage. > > “He went to Italy without permission, to see his sick mother, and wasn’t in > Ireland when the under-21s had a game there. I can’t afford to have an > Italian coach here who takes advantage. He gave them the chance to –––– > him, he made a mistake. Who is going to be the next to make a mistake?” > > The former Cagliari owner admits he is a control freak. “I work 20 hours a > day and, if I could, I would cut the grass on the pitch as well,” he > admits. “I have never had a chief executive and never will. People tell me > I take too much on and maybe they’re right, but that’s just the way I am.” > > There is one element of the Yorkshire club that he is undoubtedly satisfied > with – the fans. > > “I am the sheriff of this city and I want the fans to be my deputies,” he > says. “I feel that I was born here. I can identify with these fans – we > have the same passion; we are willing to fight; and we can be a little > bit...” He pauses. “Crazy”. > > Some of these blockaded him inside Elland Road when he first sacked > McDermott in February, but he bears no ill feeling toward them. “I admire > that. They’ve been treated badly for a long time and they are suspicious. I > understand.” > > Some of the supporter outrage has been soothed by the prospect of watching > the club’s young players fast-tracked into first-team duties: Sam Byram, > Alex Mowatt, Chris Dawson and, in particular, Lewis Cook. > > “When I first saw this boy Cook play it was phenomenal,” Cellino says. “I > wasn’t expecting to have someone so special playing for Leeds. He plays > with personality and skill. When I found out he was 17, it was a fantastic > surprise. But we must handle him in the right way. He is just 17 years old > and we can –––– him up if we give him too much pressure. > > “We must be careful to look after him. I have seen a lot of special talents > like this lost to the game in a terrible way. And I have also seen ordinary > players make it to the top level because they sacrificed themselves for the > game. My dream is to get six or seven Leeds players in the England team > during my time here.” > > Cellino cannot be faulted for ambition, although the club’s supporters will > be wary until there are tangible results on the field. At least the > financial chaos that had afflicted the club appears to have subsided. > > “When I came into this club it had an income of about £30 million a year > and costs of £42 million – crazy,” Cellino says. “It had lost more than > £100 million in 12 years. Now we will only make losses of £3 to £4 million > a year and I can sustain that for 100 years, believe me. > > “I have already applied to buy back Elland Road and we will do that by > November. In time I will build a new training ground near the stadium. I > don’t need to kiss the a--- of anyone, I am driving this bus.” > > With Cellino at the wheel, the Leeds fans had better buckle up. > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > John 'Grampa' Sykes > Rest In Peace old lad > 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 > MARCHING ON TOGETHER > _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
