Massimo Cellino has insisted that he will not consider selling his majority stake in Leeds United, despite the Football League's decision to ban him as an owner and director of the club.
The Italian's reign at Elland Road is under threat after the Football League announced that Cellino had been disqualified from running United due to a breach of their owners and directors test.
Cellino has said that while he has not decided if he will challenge the ruling, he would step down from the club for the next four months if the League's decision stood.
"The club is not for sale," the 58-year-old told the Yorkshire Evening Post. "We are not selling the club, not because of this. This doesn't change anything.
"I don't know if I'll appeal. I need to speak with my lawyers and look through all the papers to see what the League has said about me. What is their problem? We pay our bills, we do things right. Nobody was paying anything here when I bought the club. What did the League do about that?
"If my family company asks me to step back for two or three months then I'll step back. If that has to happen then I'll do it. But we won't be selling the club."
Cellino has 14 days to appeal the decision.
Steven Toplis
