Whenever anything is linked to Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino, it generates column inches – that’s the nature of the beast. That was the case with the link earlier today with news about Francesco Marroccu coming via website sardegna sport.
The Italian website, as reported here on The72, said that ex-Ascoli sporting director Francesco Marroccu was set to be unveilied as the new sporting director at Leeds United on July 1. They reported that Marroccu resolved the contract that he had with the Italian side “about ten days ago” and that he was bound for Leeds to “reform the association with Massimo Cellino after years at Cagliari.”
With that pending appointment, you’d expect that the news would have fans beating down the doors and in raised spirits. However, it seems that like a lot of ‘news’ floating around at the moment, it’s a case more of smoke and mirrors than words of truth.
It seems that this appoinment isn’t to be according to Massimo Cellino, as quoted by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay and confirmed in a Tweet by Hay himself (below).
Cellino says Francesco Marroccu won't be coming to #lufc as sporting director at this stage. "It could happen in future. Maybe next year."
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) June 13, 2016
In what amounts to a slap in the face for sardegna sport and their claims that Marroccu is on the verge of joining the Whites, Cellino simply says: “It could happen in future. Maybe next year.”
Whether or not Cellino intends to fill in that year’s wait with a temporary appointment or leave it an unfilled vacancy remains to be seen.
