Cellino’s son steps down from the board at Leeds United

THE son of Leeds United owner, Ercole Cellino, has stepped down from the board of the Championship club.

He officially left on 28 March, according to Companies House documents.

This comes after he was criticised last month for using ‘Nazi’ hashtags on social media.

In April another of Cellino’s sons, Edoardo, was suspended and fined £5,000 by the Football Association for comments he made on social media.

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

This follows a difficult time for the HR department at Leeds United, with tribunals brought against the business, including those of education and welfare officer Lucy Ward, who was dismissed after 17 years , and an unloawful dismissal claim in which the club paid out more than £300,000 to LUFC assistant manager Nigel Gibbs.

In better news for the club, chairman Massimo Cellino was acquitted on appeal of failing to pay VAT on a Range Rover imported to the USA. The ruling had led to Mr Cellino being banned under the Football League’s owners’ and directors’ test. The League will decide tomorrow on its ruling.