League Championship side Leeds United Owner Massimo Cellino said that he "stands by his decision to dump the club's long-standing kit suppliers Macron," despite the company stating in its first public comment on the issue that it views the development "very seriously" and will continue to pursue a £5M ($7.7M) legal claim against the club, according to Ian Herbert of the London INDEPENDENT. On the decision to drop the Italian company a year before its six-year deal with Leeds concluded and instead bring in Kappa (which produced Serie B side Cagliari's kit during Cellino's time as president of the club), Cellino said, "We are fighting, with our lawyers, to find out what goes on." Football administrators familiar with the running of Leeds "have expressed surprise that a shirt supplier would be replaced before its contract expires," with one suggesting that Cellino was "very, very unhappy with Macron and just decided to end it." Macron CFO Carlo Pelloni said that the firm had been "saddened" by Leeds' decision to end the relationship. Macron was claiming £2.15M ($3.3M) "allegedly owed" to the company and was also seeking damages between £2.5M ($3.8M) and £3.5M ($5.4M). The case is "one of a number which may hit Leeds." A "well-placed source" suggested that the club "faces 30 legal challenges as a result of non-payment or contractual disputes" (INDEPENDENT, 10/27).
