, Football League reveal decision on Cellino ban

Football League reveal decision on Cellino ban

After being convicted by an Italian court of wilfully failing to pay €40,000 (£28,000) import duty on a Range Rover into Italy, Massimo Cellino was banned by the Football League from being Leeds United owner.

The Football League’s statement at the time said that they had found that “the Board determined that the decision of the Italian Court constitutes a disqualifying condition under the Owners’ and Directors’ test.”

Massimo Cellino was disqualified as Leeds United owner and faced a 223-day ban until the conviction from the moment the conviction became live until it would be considered spent in the eyes of the law. As expected, legal representatives of Cellino appealed against the disqualification and, since October 28 2015, the situation has been in a sense of limbo.

However, this week saw a change in circumstances as the original conviction was overturned with an article on Italian media site L’Unione Sarda stating, “Decisive recent legislative changes on the decriminalization of certain tax offenses that led the judges to declare the fact challenged by Cellino [was] no longer a crime.”

The Football League said that their response to the decision of the Italian court would be published after a meeting tonight. The response was duly delivered and it seems that what the Football League has decided will be big news that will bolster Massimo Cellino somewhat.

In a series of quoted Tweets (below) from BBC Radio Leeds commentator Adam Pope (@APOPEY) it seems that the ban, of which Cellino served no time as he was appealing against it, is likely to be lifted pending written  confirmation from the Italian courts.

Once the written judgement from the Italian courts in is the lap of the Football League, it seems that Massimo Cellino will be free to continue his oft-criticised stewardship of the Elland Road club.

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