Ex-Leeds mainstay makes accusation about Massimo Cellino – ‘They killed me for no reason’
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Marco Silvestri has blamed Massimo Cellino for the way his spell in West Yorkshire ended.
Silvestri, who now plays for Serie A club Hellas Verona, was the first-choice goalkeeper for a good period of his spell at Leeds between 2014 and 2017, making 98 appearances across all competitions.
However he dropped down the pecking order once Robert Green was signed in July 2016 and left the Whites to join Verona the following summer.
Silvestri has now accused Cellino of choosing the team when he was the owner at Leeds.
“After the first two seasons I had made 92 appearances and I found myself on the bench for no reason, but by the decision of owner Cellino. They killed me for no reason,” Silvestri told Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato.
“Green came in my place and I found myself second-choice all year round. I also had the number one shirt taken off me, as if they wanted to [belittle] and demotivate me.”
Was Cellino choosing the team? Or was it just that a very experienced goalkeeper came in and replaced Silvestri to do really well in his spell at Elland Road?
Green arrived at Leeds in 2016 as a 12-times England international with a vast amount of experience in the Premier League and Championship.
Silvestri wasn’t anywhere near as experienced and Green, if anything, was a far better goalkeeper for the Whites than the Italian was.
Cellino did a lot wrong at Elland Road and he should not have been choosing the team but on this occasion, you can probably understand why he would have chosen Green as the number one goalkeeper.
In other Leeds United news, Championship clubs have held talks about playing matches next month.