Leeds United’s controversial Italian owner Massimo Cellino is once again in the spotlight, this time a owing to take on the Football Association (FA) itself according to a report in today’s Yorkshire Evening Post (YEP).
The case in question that Cellino is fighting the charges of relates to the alleged payments to a third-party, unlicensed person involved in the £11m transfer of Ross McCormack to Fulham.
Leeds United, as a club, and Cellino, as an individual, stand accused of “breaching regulations governing football agents” after agreeing to pay the sum of £185,000 to what was effectively an ‘unlicensed agent’ after the Scotland international’s £10.75m switch to Fulham went though.
The FA’s case rests on the point that Leeds sanctioned that £185,000 payment, which was to be made in a series of three instalments, through an agreement with Derek Day, a bona fide and licensed agent who was representing McCormack during the deal.
Leeds and Cellino are alleged to have negotiated the payments in question in full understanding that Day “intended to pass it on to Barry Hughes, a Scottish boxing promoter who acts as an advisor for McCormack but is not licensed by the FA themselves.”
As the YEP point out in their article: “The governing body’s rules forbid English clubs from ‘directly or indirectly (making) any payments to any unauthorised agent in respect of any agency activity’.”
Cellino himself, along with licensed agent Day, have both been charged by the FA: Cellino with breaking FA rules, Day with breaching agent regulations.
After successfully fending off a Football League 223-day ban after Italian law changes negated the charges, Cellino could very well find himself facing an FA ban from football if an “independent disciplinary commission finds him guilty.” Agent Day is also at risk being suspended from dealing as an agent whilst Leeds United as a club are more than likely to be hit with a fine.
Whilst Cellino has said that he is contesting the charges, there has been named comment from the FA.
