Leeds United fined £200k for spying on Derby County training session

Leeds United have been fined £200,000 for spying on Derby Country during a training session.

The Championship promotion hopefuls were investigated after manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted sending someone to spy on Derby in training before the two teams played each other last month.

Leeds formally admitted breaching regulation 3.4 which states: "In all matters and transactions relating to the League, each Club shall behave towards each other club and the league with the utmost good faith."

The English Football League (EFL), which imposed the fine, said in a statement: "As a consequence the club has been fined £200,000 (inclusive of a contribution to costs) and received a formal reprimand and warning to the effect that the club's conduct fell significantly short of the standards expected by the EFL and must not be repeated.

"In addition, Leeds United has agreed to support a new EFL regulation that make it clear that clubs will be expressly prohibited from viewing opposition training in the 72 hours immediately prior to a fixture, unless invited to do so."

A member of Leeds united's staff was found acting suspiciously outside Derby's training ground before the fixture between the two sides on 10 January.

Bielsa said he had sent a member of staff to watch training sessions for every team that Leeds have played this season.

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: "The sanctions imposed highlight how actions such as this cannot be condoned and act as a clear deterrent should any club seek to undertake poor conduct in the future.

"I would like to thank Leeds United for their assistance in helping to bring this matter to a conclusion as quickly as was practically possible.

"We will now look to move on from this incident and commence the discussions about introducing a specific regulation at a meeting with all clubs later this month."

Reacting to the fine, Leeds United said: "We accept that whilst we have not broken any specific rule, we have fallen short of the standard expected by the EFL with regards to regulation 3.4.

"We apologise for acting in a way that has been judged culturally unacceptable in the English game and would like to thank Shaun Harvey and the EFL for the manner in which they conducted their investigations.

"Our focus can now return to matters on the field."

Leeds are currently third in the Championship table after slipping out of the automatic promotion spots over the weekend.