I’M AS NICE AS SPY NOW SAYS BIELSA

MARCELO BIELSA insists Spygate has not soured his relationship with Frank Lampard.

Leeds boss Bielsa claims he does not have a bad relationship with Lampard, even though the former England star was furious when a Leeds intern was caught snooping on his training sessions with Derby in January 2019.

Bielsa, who faces Lampard for the first time since Spygate at Stamford Bridge tomorrow night, says he has moved on. “The relationship I have with him is similar to the ones I have with the rest of my colleagues,” said Bielsa (above, with Lampard).

“It was resolved by the authorities at the time, and they decided how such actions needed to be punished. They were analysed by people who needed to analyse them.”

Bielsa, who insisted on paying Leeds United’s £200,000 fine out of his own pocket, says he has not tried a similar spying mission since.

“I know the spirit of English football and the punishment I received according to what the authorities deemed,” said the veteran coach.

“This indicates to me that it shouldn’t be repeated and this is an aspect that can be deemed as something I learned.”

Instead of snooping on Chelsea, Bielsa (below, giving a powerpoint presentation) and his staff have analysed all of their games this season and the Argentinian feels he knows everything about the Blues.

He said: “As the competition goes on – and there have been 10 games now – all the managers become knowledgeable about other teams. Every manager in the Premier League can talk about all the other 19 teams.”