EFL set to start an investigation following Derby County’s complaint against Leeds United over sending a ‘spy’ to Derby’s training ground.
Frank Lampard accused the Whites of sending someone to watch their training season just 24 hours before their Championship encounter with Derby. Police interfered into the matter and sent back the man but the incident broke out pretty rapidly.
Bielsa latter admitted the incident and phoned the Derby boss to have a chat regarding the appearance of the spy. Leeds went on to win the match 2-0 later but the matter seemed to have caught Lampard’s side by surprise.
FA previously announced they would look into the matter and now EFL have joined hands with them to launch an investigation. An official EFL statement read : The EFL has today written to Leeds United requesting their observations in regard to an incident that took place in the vicinity of Derby County’s training ground on Thursday 10 January, 2019.
It follows a complaint from Derby County who allege that an individual, acting under the instruction of Leeds United, sought to observe a private training session the day before the two Clubs were due to meet in the Sky Bet Championship.
The EFL has now determined that it is appropriate to consider this matter in the context of a number of EFL Regulations whilst also noting that the alleged actions appear to contravene the Club’s Charter that all EFL Clubs agreed to in summer 2018.
The decision to progress this matter to a formal investigation comes as a result of the Club’s manager, Marcelo Bielsa, admitting to instructing an individual to undertake the acts being complained of in a television interview broadcast on Sky Sports on Friday 11 January 2019.
The Football Association has also confirmed they are considering the same matter in line with its own rules and the EFL will work with its FA counterparts to ensure that any potential action taken does not prejudice those investigations being undertaken.
