After an appeal, the ban of Leeds United’s controversial co-owner Massimo Cellino from football has been reduced from 18 months to 12 months and he will now be able to return in February 2018, as reported to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The ban was reduced after the appeal board conducted a review of claims that Cellino had sanctioned an illegal payment during the sale of Ross McCormack to Fulham in 2014.
The ban will ban Cellino from “all football and football related activity” and will begin on February 18th this year.
As a result of the ban, Cellino will be expected to resign from Leeds board of directors. This will be the second time he is banned from running the club during less than three years of involvement.
The first suspension was carried out for four months as a result of an Italian tax conviction in 2015. Leeds United have expressed in a statement that they were “disappointed” by the outcome of the appeal.
