• Championship

McDermott is still our manager, say Leeds

ESPN staff
February 1, 2014
Brian McDermott was told on Friday that he had been sacked © Getty Images
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Leeds performed an astonishing U-turn on Saturday, announcing that Brian McDermott had not been sacked as manager and remained in charge.

On Friday, former Reading manager McDermott was told by a lawyer working on the instruction of Leeds' prospective owner Massimo Cellino that he had been dismissed.

He was absent from Saturday's 5-1 win Championship win over Huddersfield which was watched by Gianluca Festa - the man it appeared Cellino had lined up to replace him.

It later emerged that McDermott had been invited to the game and declined, before the League Managers Association said on Saturday that he had been sacked by someone who had no authority to do so.

Leeds responded after the match by saying that McDermott remained in charge, with a statement reading: "The club would like to make it clear that Brian McDermott remains our first team manager.

"He has not been dismissed from his post, as has been suggested, and we look forward to him continuing in his role with us in taking Leeds United forwards."

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