Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino: 'I hate sacking managers'

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has insisted that he takes no pleasure in sacking managers, despite going through 36 coaches during his time at Cagliari Calcio and five in 12 months at Elland Road.

The Italian said that he will only axe a manager if they are failing, and claims that Cagliari were once relegated because he stood by the wrong man.

"How can you like sacking people, especially coaches?" Cellino told The Mirror.

"It's very hard when you have to tell someone you like they are fired. My dream is to keep a coach 20 years.

"I had some very good coaches at Cagliari. They were not a big team so they left me to go to bigger clubs. Sometimes you have coaches you are not very good so you have to fire them because you need someone better."

Cellino has already dismissed Brian McDermott, Dave Hockaday, Darko Milanic and Neil Redfearn since joining Leeds, and recently appointed Uwe Rosler to lead the Whites next season.