England: Italian, Massimo Cellino, authorised to take control of Leeds United after appeal

The decision to block Massimo Cellino’s takeover of Leeds United (Championship, English 2^nd Division) was reversed on appeal on 05/04/2014 by the professional conduct committee of the Football League, the body that manages the English 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Divisions.

Previously, the Football League had ruled that the conviction of the Italian businessman for tax evasion disqualified him from acquiring the English club, as he had been convicted of conduct that would “reasonably be considered to be dishonest,” as the league put it in March 2014.

But the professional conduct committee of the Football League has now found that Massimo Cellino’s conviction cannot be considered “dishonest” because the written reasons for the judgement were not made public by the Cagliari Court. The written judgement, which must be published within 90 days of the conviction, is expected in mid-June 2014.

If Massimo Cellino’s tax evasion is indeed ruled “dishonest” by the Italian courts, the takeover may again be suspended.