My pronunciation was terrible. There was a velvet couch. It was purple. I said, “Change the couch!". They fired the manager.

[rcoobc]

One of the funniest stories of all time if true

But it was his problem with purple — associated with funerals in Italy — that left him with a red face shortly after he arrived at Elland Road in January 2014.

‘I was a mess when I got there,’ he admits. ‘My English was very poor. My pronunciation was terrible. When I got there, there was a velvet bloody couch in the suite at Elland Road. It was purple. I said, “Change the bloody couch, I don’t want to see it anymore”. And then they fired the bloody coach!’

Brian McDermott was the coach sent on his way while the velvet couch stayed put. It left Leeds without a manager the night before a home Championship match with Huddersfield. ‘They said, “Who is taking the team tomorrow?”,’ recalls Cellino. ‘I said, “Why? We don’t have a manager?”. They said, “You fired him”. “I fired the manager? S***”.

‘It was 10 at night and there were 2,000 people at the stadium who wanted to kill me. They hid me in the stadium and then took me out in a police car. They said, “It is better if you don’t go to the game tomorrow”... Bloody purple!’

Nigel Gibbs, McDermott’s assistant, ended up in caretaker charge and oversaw a 5-1 win. ‘I said “keep him!”’ recalls Cellino. ‘Sometimes the big mistake becomes the best thing you do. That’s bloody football.’ Instead, McDermott was reinstalled as boss by GFH Capital, who remained in control while their 75 per cent sale to Cellino awaited EFL approval. But the madness had only just begun.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12814775/Leeds-owner-Massimo-Cellino-Brescia.html

 

[CM]

 

[Mindhunter]

Just wow. That's what happens in a high visibility profession without any SOPs where things are run through the cult of personality.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I didn’t know who to appoint,’ confesses Cellino. ‘I had to take someone to do pre-season. I was lost — and I took the coach with the lowest wages. I’ll never forget. We were playing Middlesbrough and it was 0-0. Then Hockaday took out (Souleymane) Doukara, who was playing good and he put in a midfielder, which was a brave move. We won 1-0.

‘After the game, I said, “Hey, Hockaday, give me five, you are better than I thought. You took one striker away and put another one in midfield to control the game. That’s something the best coaches understand not the worst”. Then you know what he told me? “I took out Doukara because he was injured”. I said, “So you’re s*** still!”.’

Hockaday was gone 12 days later after an ignominious six-game reign

Mad bastard. As bad at hiding as he is at firing. I like his honesty though.

 

[Ish]

 

[Von Mistelroum]

This is amazing

 

[Arios]

He is the one that said to tvs that he burned incriminating documents during calciopoli involving other teams before police raid italian FIGC

 

[Henrik Larsson]

 

[horsechoker]

He is the one that said to tvs that he burned incriminating documents during calciopoli involving other teams before police raid italian FIGC

No that was just his poor English, he meant burn the documents to a disc.

 

[Fr. Todd Unctious]

All the funnier because it happend to Leeds

 

[Hugh Jass]

Brilliant.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Did he want the couch replaced because it was velvet - or because it was purple?

Did he want this:

Spoiler

...replaced with this?

Spoiler

Or this?

Spoiler

To be clear, was he fine with velvet - but wanted a different colour? Or was he not fine with velvet - and wanted a different material, like, say, steel?

 

[arthurka]

Italians are just the best.

 

[Withnail]

Did he want the couch replaced because it was velvet - or because it was purple?

Did he want this:

Spoiler

...replaced with this?

Spoiler

Or this?

Spoiler

To be clear, was he fine with velvet - but wanted a different colour? Or was he not fine with velvet - and wanted a different material, like, say, steel?

These are definitely the questions that need answering