Bielsa facing five-game FA ban for spying
met his Derby counterpart Mel Morris to apologise in person.
The FA will now be investigating 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: “Following comments made by Marcelo Bielsa yesterday 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 United is built on.
“Our owner Andrea Radrizzani 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 d before and Derby boss Frank Lampard believes someone spied on his training before the teams previously met in August.
Unsporting
Leeds won Friday’s game 2-0 but Derby keeper Scott Carson labelled Bielsa “disrespectful” for employing unsporting tactics.
“It was disrespectful,” said Carson (inset).
“It’s obviously a liberty. This is England.
“The police just came on to the training ground and said there was someone in the bushes.
“They went back round the gate and everyone heard a lot of shouting, but nobody knew what it was.
“But the last thing that we expected was it to be a Leeds United employee who was in the bush.
“I don’t think other teams and other 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 different managers, but I can’t see too many people agreeing with him and saying that it’s right.
Bushes
“He could have been looking for anything.
“We were working on stuff and so I’m not sure how much this man has seen seen.
“But how o often have Leeds done it?
“That’s the question that is g going to get as asked.
“W “When the gaffer thought back, he remembered someone in the bushes before we played Leeds earlier in the season, so it’s obviously a regular thing.”
Bielsa will be asked by the FA for his observations.
And he could be found in breach of a rule which states: “A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner that is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”
Any action deemed to be an aggravated breach of the rule carries with it an “immediate suspension of at least five games”.