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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014 SPORTS ‘Manager eater’ dining out at once-mighty Leeds LONDON: Hours into his tenure as the years ago. The past decade at Leeds had replacement for McDermott out of the owned by foreigners, some more rep- best thing he could do is get out of the latest Leeds manager, Neil Redfearn was been scarred by financial chaos and mis- English non-leagues. Dave Hockaday utable and savvy than others. Blackburn, club,” said Giles, a midfield great for watching the team lose when he heard management, though, and the club had seemed to be out of his depth and a for example, was an established Premier Leeds in its glory days. “It’s crazy stuff.” the inevitable chant from opposition slipped down the English league pyra- puppet for Cellino. “Coaches are like League team before being taken over by Despite his eccentricities, however, fans. “Sacked in the morning,” came the mid. The larger-than-life Cellino arrived watermelons,” Cellino said at Hockaday’s Indian poultry firm Venky’s. They talked Cellino could yet be a force for good at cry around Cardiff City Stadium, “you’re as the latest savior, saying of the fans: presentation, “you only know how good about signing David Beckham and Leeds. He at least has experience of own- getting sacked in the morning.” It’s a “They’ve had to put up with 10 (exple- it is when you open it.” Hockaday lasted Ronaldinho and returning to the heights ing a football club and turned out to be playful chant serenaded to losing coach- tive) years. six games of this season before he was of 1995 when the team won the English a success in his 22 years at Cagliari, es across the length and breadth of I want to make them proud again.” fired, ending one of the strangest mana- league. Instead the club was relegated establishing the Sardinian team in Serie England on most weekends, and it’s Problem was, he also arrived with bag- gerial reigns of recent times. within 18 months and spiraled into A. It is hard for Leeds fans to trust any rarely taken on face value. On this occa- gage. He had been convicted in Italy of Darko Milanic was the next full-time chaos, with four different managers in an owner of their club after the troubled sion, though, there could have been an tax evasion, a ruling he is still appealing, appointment and another to arrive out eight-month span in the second-tier tenures of Ken Bates, the outspoken for- element of truth about it. and was known in some circles as a of the blue, from Austrian side Sturm League Championship the following sea- mer Chelsea owner, and Bahraini-based And that just about sums up the sad “mangiallenatori” - the Italian word for a Graz. Hired on Sept. 23, Milanic, from son. Fulham is another traditional investment bank Gulf Finance House, state of Leeds United - a proud, once- “manager eater” - after making 36 coach- Slovenia, was fired after 32 days and did English club whose fortunes have tum- which preceded Cellino. mighty northern English club that is now ing changes in 22 years at Cagliari. not win any of his six games in charge. bled since it was put in the hands of an But, perhaps in desperation, they widely regarded as a laughingstock English football now understands Redfearn, who took temporary owner with apparently more money appear to have warmed to the Italian, operating on the merciless whims of an why he earned that moniker. Brian charge between the Hockaday and than sense. Under American business- who has stood among Leeds supporters eccentric, maverick Italian owner. Clough’s notorious 44-day reign at Leeds Cellino “eras” after being promoted from man Shahid Kahn since July 2013, during away matches and has injected Massimo Cellino - with his sunglasses in the mid-1970s seems like a lifetime in the academy, was hired as Cellino’s Fulham lost its Premier League status enough money and commitment into and slick, graying hair - breezed into charge compared to the rate Cellino is fourth manager in five months on within a year and has just hired its fourth the club to suggest he is in it for the Elland Road in April when his company, going through managers. A month after Saturday. Leeds lost to Cardiff 3-1 that coach in 10 months. long haul. The way it’s going, though, which already owned Italian side taking over, Cellino fired Brian afternoon to drop to sixth from bottom Critics of Cellino say he is acting dis- he might just decide to do the coaching Cagliari, bought a controlling stake in McDermott, widely regarded as one of in the second-tier League gracefully and is damaging the reputa- himself. “I used to have a boat. I used to Leeds. This was the biggest football team English football’s “good guys.” Rumors Championship. “I remember in Italy my tion of one of England’s great clubs. And, pay the captain of the boat,” Cellino in England in the late 1960s and early had been spreading during the takeover dad sacked seven coaches in one year considering his conviction for fraud, they says. “You know what my strategy was? ‘70s in the era of Johnny Giles and Billy process, which was drawn-out because and one before the season had even still wonder how he passed the owners If he doesn’t do what I like to do with Bremner, the league champion in 1992 of Cellino’s tax issues, that McDermott started,” Cellino’s son, Edoardo, said last and directors test used by the Premier my boat, then I can drive my boat on when Eric Cantona starred up front and a was on his way out. week. “This is not a record.” League and Football League to assess my own.” Redfearn has been duly Champions League semifinalist only 12 Bizarrely, Cellino chose to pluck the English football is awash with clubs who can and can’t run a club. “I think the warned. — AP Casillas: Young and old can show Real the way SPAIN: Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas believes the European champions have a side with the potential to be one of the all-time greats and it will be with likely trepidation that an off-color Liverpool visit the Bernabeu today. Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Real have been in majestic form with 46 goals in their last 11 games as they have torn apart opposition in both Spain and Europe, with another win today guaranteeing progression to the Champions League last 16. The Group B match comes two weeks after Liverpool were easily beaten 3-0 at ITALY: Juventus Andrea Pirlo (center) celebrates with his teammates in this file home by Real in the reverse fixture and that was photo. —AP with Carlo Ancelotti’s side easing off in the sec- ond half with El Clasico on the horizon. They then swept aside Barcelona and hit four without Pirlo in full reply away to Granada in another exhibition of exhilarating attacking football on Saturday. “This team can make history, there are good flow for Juventus ingredients,” Casillas told reporters. “We are hop- ing to win the top trophies. We have a good mix ITALY: Andrea Pirlo is finally getting into his ele- the World Cup, suffered an injury, he was out for of youngsters and older players that can show gant stride for Juventus, just in time for the 40 days,” he added. “Pirlo broke his duck and I them what it is to be Madrid and how they need match which is likely to determine whether or think that is also a psychological breakthrough to play.” Real lead the group with nine points not they progress to the knockout stages of the after performances that were not up to his usual from three games while Ludogorets, Liverpool Champions League. After successive 1-0 defeats standards. He can make the difference at set and Basel all have three points. Real, who won away to Atletico Madrid and Olympiakos in pieces.” the King’s Cup as well as their 10th European SPAIN: Real Madridís Luka Modric (right) leads Marcelo (second right) Gareth Bale (third right) Group A, Serie A leaders Juve host the Greek Allegri was in charge when Pirlo left Milan for Cup last season, have hit form after losing two and Karim Benzema (fourth right) during a training session in Madrid. Real Madrid will play side today knowing another slipup could lead to Juventus and the coach’s arrival at Juve in July Liverpool today in a Group B Champions League soccer match. — AP a second successive group stage elimination. inevitably prompted some speculation about of their first three La Liga games. “The team is Although Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio and their relationship. building on the two trophies that we won and they have looked shaky, their main worry is in the group to qualify, which is the objective. It’s a Arturo Vidal give Juventus plenty of options in But the phlegmatic coach feels he was the we are looking to continue this. The results back attack for the trip with the imperious Luis big ask playing against arguably the best team midfield, they are not quite the same without an scapegoat when Pirlo left Milan after an indiffer- this up and the players that have come in have a Suarez long gone. England striker Daniel in the world at the moment.” on-form Pirlo, who has guided them to three ent season.