Leeds United

Massimo Cellino will demand Leeds United players live in city

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 11 July 2014

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino will demand that all of next season's squad live in the city as he tries to improve team unity and discipline before home games.

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino will make it mandatory for all of Leeds United's players to live in the city next season as a method to promote team unity.

The Italian businessman, who completed his protracted takeover of the Whites in April, was unimpressed by the discipline in preparation for last term's home games.

He will demand that Dave Hockaday's squad eat together on the eve of matches in West Yorkshire and travel as a team to Elland Road, and also plans to invest in an official Leeds bus.

Cellino told BBC Sport: "Next season I do not want one single player who lives outside of Leeds, no way. That is mandatory.

"Last year there were players who were coming late to games. Next year before a home game the players will stay together, have dinner together and go to the game together.

"I found out that most of the games that are close to Leeds we go to by bus but we don't have our own. Why not? I would love to have a Leeds bus and I am going to buy one."

Leeds won their first friendly under new boss Hockaday, against Italian minnows FC Gherdeina, by a 16-0 scoreline.