Everyone at Leeds United ‘lived in fear’ of Massimo Cellino – Ex-Elland Road man
Nothing was ever dull at Leeds United when Massimo Cellino was at the helm and former consultant Graham Bean knows exactly that.
The ex-Elland Road man saw more than most of Cellino’s day-to-day life while he was in control of what happened at Thorp Arch and recalls it as a madhouse.
Andrea Radrizzani bought Cellino out of his ownership of the club in 2017 with the 66-year-old returning to his homeland of Italy and buying Brescia a month later, a club which he still owns.
“Working at Leeds was one of the most bizarre experiences of my professional career,” Bean said to the Daily Mail. “At times it genuinely felt like I was working inside a madhouse and I seriously questioned continuing to work for him, due to his nasty temper tantrums, which were like dealing with a spoiled child. It was draining and stressful.
“Due to his volatile temper, it was difficult to separate when he was simply expressing himself with his passionate Italian personality and mannerisms and when he was actually losing his temper. But as time went on it was much easier to distinguish between the two.
“I was the only person prepared to stand up to him because everyone else at the club lived in fear of him. His temper was such that he would become irrational at times, raising his voice to the point of not being able to decipher what he was saying, building himself up into such a frenzy he would start frothing at the mouth.”
Radrizzani the saviour
Football fans and owners don’t always have the best relationship but Radrizzani is someone who is lauded at Elland Road for saving Leeds united from what could have been pure chaos and anarchy had Cellino remained in charge.
The turnaround from those days is nothing short of remarkable and the upward trend has steadily continued throughout his time in Yorkshire.
Every season has been an improvement on the last with the sole exception of the 2021-22 campaign when injuries ran rife through the squad and Marcelo Bielsa was ultimately sacked.
But even that is far better than what could have been the case with Cellino still in charge which is a scary thought in itself.
The former owner of the club can be put firmly into the history books and never thought of again with all eyes firmly on the future.
Things could get tricky if Jesse Marsch is to want a player from Brescia but that bridge can be crossed when, or more likely if, the time comes.
In other Leeds United news, Premier League overspending has been calculated and it is very good viewing for Whites fans compared to the rest of the division.