Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has been disqualified by the Football League and asked to resign from the Championship club.
The Football League took the decision after obtaining documents from an Italian court, where Cellino was found guilty of tax evasion.
It believes Cellino, 58, has breached its “fit and proper” ownership test.
However, he will be entitled to return to the club from 18 March 2015 and can appeal against the League’s ruling.
The club have said in a statement that they are in the process of taking legal action and it is not clear who will run Leeds in the interim.
The club said: “The steps that the Football League wishes the club to take – to remove Mr Cellino – only to reappoint him in three months’ time will be destabilising for the club, its supporters, sponsors and cannot be in the best interests of any party.”
The Football League blocked Cellino’s deal to take over the club in March after he was found guilty in an Italian court of failing to pay import duty on a yacht.
But an independent QC then overturned that decision on appeal in April, allowing the takeover to go through.
Leeds were losing about £1m a month at the time of the takeover, but Cellino told BBC Radio Leeds in July that he had cleared the club’s debts and on Saturday announced he was going to invest a further £20m into the club.
His seven months in charge at Elland Road have seen a number of changes off the pitch.
Brian McDermott left his position as manager in May and was replaced by former Forest Green boss Dave Hockaday.
Hockaday lasted just six games and was replaced by former Slovenia international Darko Milanic, but he failed to win any of his six games in charge and was sacked in October.
Former academy boss Neil Redfearn was appointed head coach last month and Saturday’s win over high-flying Derby saw them move up to 15th in the table.
BBC SPORT
