Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa has admitted to sending a club employee to spy on Derby County ahead of their Championship clash tonight.
The club has been embroiled in controversy since it emerged that Derby County had discovered a Leeds employee spying on one of their training sessions yesterday morning. The police were called, with the man having been found with a binoculars and pliers in his possession.
Rather than try and gloss over the incident in his pre-match interview this evening, Bielsa took responsibility for the incident. Not only this, he admitted he has been doing it for years.
It's true there was someone from Leeds United, I am responsible for this incident. There is some precisions that I need to give.
It doesn't matter if this is legal or illegal, or right or wrong, for me it is enough that Frank Lampard and Derby County felt that it was not the right thing to do. For me to believe it was, I didn't behave well.
Yesterday I talked to Frank Lampard, and he told me I didn't respect the fair play rules. I have a different point of view on it, but the important thing is what Frank Lampard and Derby County think.
I am responsible for it, because I didn't ask for Leeds' permission to do it.
Without trying to find a justification, I have been using this kind of practice since the World Cup qualifiers with Argentina. This is not illegal.
We have been doing it publicly, we talk about it in the press. For some people it is the wrong thing to do, for others it is not.
WATCH: Marcelo Bielsa admits he was behind #LUFC spy-gate and that he has been using similar tactics for year.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football: https://t.co/dLI22fdxp1 pic.twitter.com/MKktATOVnh— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 11, 2019
Hardly the most apologetic of answers. While the Argentine may not see the problem with such behaviour Derby County and the FA are unlikely to take a similar view. The authorities will no doubt come down heavy on both the club and Bielsa, with this type of incident usually taken very seriously.
With Leeds top of The Championship, this casts a major shadow over their achievements so far this season.
His response as certainly not viewed fondly in the Sky Sports studio, with both Darren Bent and Keith Andrews finding the incident 'disgusting'.
"It is quite disgusting. I don't think he gives a damn"
Keith Andrews and Darren Bent react to Marcelo Bielsa admitting to #LUFC spy incident.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football: https://t.co/dLI22fdxp1 pic.twitter.com/ErAoLJpmEQ— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 11, 2019
