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Leeds fined £200K, formally warned by EFL for 'Spygate'

George Wood / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Premier League hopefuls Leeds United were fined £200,000 by the English Football League (EFL) on Monday following the conclusion of an investigation into spying.

The EFL said it found Leeds to be in breach of Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to behave "with the utmost good faith."

Manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted he sent a member of his staff to watch one of Derby County's training sessions a day before the sides played each other on Jan. 11.

Leeds received a formal reprimand and warning for their role in the affair but escaped a points deduction.

The West Yorkshire outfit also agreed to support a new ruling that prohibits teams from observing opponents in training 72 hours prior to a fixture.

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

In a separate statement, Leeds apologized for "acting in a way that has been judged culturally unacceptable in the English game."

Upon discovering a Leeds employee at their training ground, Derby manager Frank Lampard raised a complaint with the EFL. Lampard's Rams lost the match 2-0.

Bielsa claimed after the incident that the practice of spying is common in other countries and admitted it's something he's done since coaching the Argentinian national team in 2002.

Leeds are currently two points behind Championship leaders Norwich City as they look to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

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