Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has met with Derby County counterpart Mel Morris behind the scenes to apologise for his club’s actions in the ongoing ‘spy gate’ incident, according to Sky Sports News.
United became embroiled in the scandal after it was revealed that a member of Marcelo Bielsa’s staff had been found spying on a Frank Lampard training session in the build up to the clash between the two sides on Friday evening.
Leeds ran out 2-0 winners on the night courtesy of goals from Kemar Roofe and Jack Harrison.
It is no understood that Radrizzani met with his opposite number in the aftermath of the match to issue a formal apology.
In a statement from Leeds United, as reported by Sky, the club suggested that it would work with Bielsa to ‘remind them of the integrity and honesty which are the foundations that Leeds is built on’.
.@LUFC say club will work with head coach Bielsa and his staff to "remind them of the integrity and honesty which are the foundations that Leeds is built on" #SSN
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 12, 2019
OPINION
It’s good of Raddrizzani to apologise, but it doesn’t really make up for the fact that the spying still happened. Whether it actually had any effect on Friday’s match is a matter of debate, but it definitely acted as a distraction in the build up to a game that could have been crucial to the promotion race. Add to that the fact that Bielsa will almost certainly have been doing this all season, and it presents a bit of a conundrum for the EFL. A slap on the wrist may not be enough to deter Bielsa, who showed an impressive lack of remorse, from doing it going, but it’s not illegal, just immoral, and a points deduction or something of the like may seem like overkill. The Argentine chalked it up to a cultural thing, and it may be the case that he has to acknowledge that the footballing culture in England won’t stand for this kind of thing, but now the ball is in the EFL’s court to deal with the issue.