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Massimo Cellino's conviction for tax evasion puts Leeds takeover in doubt
MASSIMO CELLINO'S hopes of completing his takeover of Leeds United have been cast into doubt after the Italian was found guilty of tax evasion.
A court in Cagliari found that Cellino avoided paying over €400,000 in import tax on a yacht he brought in 2010.
Judge Sandra Lepore fined Cellino €600,000 and ordered the vessel, named Nelie, be confiscated.
Cellino's defence lawyer Giovanni Cocco announced Cellino, who was not in court, plans to appeal against the verdict.
Cellino thought he had agreed to buy Leeds from GFC Capital last month, but the move is yet to be ratified by the Football League.
The governing body's 'fit and proper owner and directors' test prevents anyone with an unspent conviction for dishonesty offences from being a director, a 30 per cent owner, or from exercising control over one of its clubs.
And that would appear to rule Cellino out of completing his takeover, casting the ownership of the club back into doubt.
Leeds were flying high early in the season but off-field problems appear to have taken their toll with the club's hopes of making the play-offs looking increasingly distant.