BIELSA FACES FA RAP
MARCELO BIELSA has been slapped down by Leeds over the spy storm that has rocked football.
Leeds chiefs have reminded their coach of the importance of “integrity and honesty” after the Argentine, 63, admitted sending a snoop to a Derby training session before the teams met on Friday night.
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani also met his Derby counterpart Mel Morris to apologise in person.
The FA will now investigate the matter and Bielsa could face a touchline ban if the governing body find he is found to have acted ‘outside the best interests of the game’.
Yesterday, Leeds issued a statement, which read: “The club will look to work with our head coach and his staff to remind them of the integrity and honesty which are the foundations that Leeds is built on.
“Our owner, Andrea Radrizzani (below), has met with Derby County’s owner Mel Morris to formally apologise for Marcelo’s actions.”
Bielsa revealed the snooping is a tactic he has used before, and Derby manager Frank Lampard believes someone spied on his training before the team’s previously met in August.
Leeds beat Derby 4-1 then, and also won Friday’s game 2-0, but Derby goalkeeper Scott Carson labelled Bielsa “disrespectful” for employing unsporting tactics.
Carson slammed: “It is disrespectful. It’s [spying] obviously a liberty. This is England. The police just came on to the training ground and said that there was someone in the bushes.
“They went back around the gate and everyone heard a lot of shouting, but nobody knew what it was.
“The last thing we expected was it to be a Leeds employee who was in the bush. I don’t think other teams and managers do that sort of stuff.
“It’s obviously something they’ve been doing all season, it needs to be looked at. It’s come out that it’s something he’s done before, but in England not many people do it, or at least that we know about.
“There’s obviously respect there from different clubs and managers, but he’s chose to do it and I can’t see too many people agreeing with him and saying that it’s right.
“He could have been looking for anything. We were working on stuff and so I’m not sure how much this man has seen. But how often have they [Leeds] done it?”