Cellino:
Leeds United supremo Massimo Cellino insists he has to "protect the fans" by running the Elland Road outfit like a business.
The Whites chairman has become a controversial figure since he took control of the club in 2014, living up to his reputation as an owner who often chops and changes managers and seeing a section of the Yorkshire giants' fan base turn against his reign.
He has wheeled and dealed in the transfer market with the Whites and this year has sold two academy products to Premier League sides; Sam Byram departed for West Ham, while Lewis Cook joined Bournemouth recently.
Cellino says he feels he has a duty to look after the club and treat it like a business, but warned he does not have the wealth to control Leeds forever.
He told Buzz.ie: "I am not so rich that I can do it forever. A lot of people say they are so rich, then they get broke and they kill the club.
"Football is a business now – a tough difficult business. It has to be run like a business to protect the fans, because you can not play with someone else’s history.
"To me football is important, but for the fans it is more important. I love the fans, the families; the fathers, the mothers and the kids.
"They love the club. They are the fans we have to look after. What we do is very important to them and we have to respect that.
"Sometimes we cannot afford something and we have to say, ‘I cannot afford’, and we have to try to find another way to make things better", Cellino continued.
"But I never take advantage of the feelings of the people."
Cellino is aiming for Leeds to mount a genuine promotion push in the Championship in the coming season, it would be the first of his reign, and has offered a partial refund to season ticket holders if the Whites do not manage to finish in the top six.