Massimo Cellino facts for kids

Massimo Cellino (born 28 July 1956) is an Italian businessman who owns football clubs. He currently owns the Italian club Brescia Calcio. He also used to own the Italian club Cagliari Calcio and the English club Leeds United F.C..

Massimo Cellino's Journey in Football

Leading Cagliari

Massimo Cellino was the chairman of the Italian football club Cagliari Calcio. A chairman is like the boss of the club. He also served as a vice-president for Serie A, which is Italy's top football league.

During his time at Cagliari, Cellino helped build a sports training center near Cagliari. It was named after his father, Ercole.

Cellino was known for changing managers very often at Cagliari. He once changed managers 36 times in 22 years! Because of this, people gave him the nickname Il mangia-allenatori, which means "The Manager-Eater."

He eventually sold Cagliari in June 2014 after owning the club for 22 years.

Time at Leeds United

Taking Over Leeds

In 2014, Massimo Cellino became interested in buying the English club Leeds United. His team visited Leeds' stadium, Elland Road, and their training ground.

There was some confusion early on. It was reported that Leeds' manager, Brian McDermott, had been fired. However, the club later said he had not been dismissed. Cellino later explained that he had been misunderstood. He had asked for the "couch" (a piece of furniture) to be replaced, not the "coach" (the manager)!

On 7 February 2014, Cellino's family company, Eleonora Sport Ltd, agreed to buy 75% of Leeds United. This deal needed approval from the Football League, which is the organization that runs professional football in England.

The Football League first said no to the deal on 24 March 2014. They said Cellino did not pass their "owner's test." This test checks if a person is suitable to own a football club. Cellino appealed this decision, and on 5 April 2014, the decision was changed. He was then allowed to buy the club.

Challenges and Changes at Leeds

After buying Leeds, Cellino faced many challenges. He often changed managers, just like he did at Cagliari. He wanted the club to reach the Premier League, England's top football division.

He also had some disagreements with the Football League. At one point, he was temporarily unable to own the club due to rules about club owners. This meant he had to step away from his role for a period. During this time, he said he would return to his role once the ban ended.

Cellino made many changes to the club's staff and players. He sometimes spoke openly about his players and managers. For example, he once called manager Neil Redfearn "weak" and "a baby." He also tried to buy back Leeds' stadium, Elland Road, which the club no longer owned.

He also had a disagreement with the Football League about ticket allocations for away fans. He first decided to limit the number of tickets for Leeds fans at away games. However, after many fans complained, he changed his mind.

Selling Leeds United

Massimo Cellino sometimes said he would sell Leeds United. At one point, he even said he would sell it to a fans' group called 'Leeds Fans United'. However, he later changed his mind about that.

In 2016, Cellino's company became the full owner of Leeds United. But on 4 January 2017, Andrea Radrizzani bought half of Cellino's shares in the club. Then, on 23 May 2017, Andrea Radrizzani bought the rest of the shares from Cellino. This meant Radrizzani became the full owner of Leeds United. Cellino thanked the fans when he left the club.

Owning Brescia

After leaving Leeds United, Cellino went back to Italy. He bought the Italian club Brescia Calcio, which plays in Serie B. Just like with his previous clubs, he continued to change managers often at Brescia. For example, in the 2017-18 season, he appointed four different managers.

About Massimo Cellino

His Life and Hobbies

Massimo Cellino is married to Frances and they have three children. He owns homes in Leeds, England, and Miami, Florida, in the United States.

Besides football, Cellino enjoys playing guitar. He plays in a cover band called Maurillos. He even joined the band The Pigeon Detectives on stage at a Leeds United awards event to play a Jimi Hendrix song.

Superstitions

Massimo Cellino has some interesting superstitions. He really dislikes the number 17, which some people in Italian culture consider unlucky. At Cagliari's stadium, he even had the number 17 removed from seats and replaced with "16b."

He also dislikes the color purple, which is also seen as unlucky in Italy. Because of his dislike for the number 17, Leeds United even retired the number 17 shirt for a few years. This meant no player could wear that number. However, the number 17 shirt was brought back in 2019.