Leeds United director charged by the FA over offensive messages

LEEDS UNITED director Edoardo Cellino has been charged by the Football Association after offensive messages he sent to supporters on social media were leaked.

Mr Cellino, son of the chairman and owner of Leeds United, Massimo, was charged by the Football Association, who said that the comments made to a fan were “abusive and/or insulting and/or improper in contravention of Rule E3(1).

The FA said that the messages included a reference to disability. According to reports Mr Cellino called the fan “spastic” over social media.

In a statement, Mr Cellino said that he did not understand the “severity” of the words used as English is his second language.

He has until 11 April to respond to the charge. Mr Cellino has been a member of the board since his father took over the club in April 2014.

Since then, the Cellino family has been plagued by bad press.

In his statement to the Daily Mail, Mr Cellino said: ‘”I would like to apologise for any offence that I have caused.

“After receiving a lot of abusive messages my emotions got the better of me and I reacted in a way that was unprofessional.

“I believe the messages were private but I know I should not have done this. I did not fully understand the severity of the words used as English is not my first language. Again, I can only apologise.”

The incident with Mr Cellino mirrors that of another disgraced Leeds United executive, former managing  director David Haigh, who was also charged with cyber slander. Unlike Mr Cellino, was tried in a court in Dubai. He avoided a two-year prison sentence after the court found him innocent last month.