Leeds owner Cellino dictated tactics during QPR defeat

Ian Watson
Massimo Cellino: Closing in on Leeds sale

Massimo Cellino: Has taken a back seat this season

Under-fire Leeds owner Massimo Cellino has risked further backlash from his club’s supporters after telling the Daily Mirror he made a half-time tactical switch at QPR last weekend.

United’s fans will today stage a 17-minute walkout in protest at the Italian’s handling of the club, walking out of the Elland Road stands in the 17th minute – a number Cellino has a superstitious dislike of.

Cellino is currently fighting a second Football League disqualification for tax evasion, while a string of managerial changes and supporter rows have brought terrace dissent to a head.

Having told Leeds Fans United – a supporters group aiming for fan ownership – he would sell them the club, he then changed his mind three days later and said he would not be attending any further matches or contemplating selling the club until the new year.

However, the former Cagliari owner went to last weekend’s defeat at QPR and the Mirror reported that he went to the dressing room at half-time to tell current boss Steve Evans to change the tactics.

Leeds went on to lose the game 1-0 and Cellino told the newspaper: “Didn’t work anyway. We lost the game.”

Cellino is not expected to be at today’s game against Hull.