Leeds United CEO Angus Kinnear has emphatically dismissed the idea that Marcelo Bielsa was breaking government rules by holding training sessions for up to eight first-team players during the lockdown.
As we know, the Coronavirus crisis has stopped the football season and restricted people in their everyday life, with one of the measures preventing gathering in groups. Therefore, clubs up and down the country have been giving their players individual workout plans to do from home. However, it was claimed last week that Bielsa had called many regulars into Thorp Arch to conduct his own training session as he looks to monitor the fitness of his players but Kinnear angrily denied that when writing in his Yorkshire Evening Post column.
“A deliberately erroneous press report online last weekend suggested that Marcelo Bielsa was still running full training sessions at Thorp Arch. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“As you would expect, Marcelo and his team are meticulously following EFL and governmental protocol. The training ground is only being used for individual rehabilitation and for locally based players to undergo solo outdoor exercise in a lower risk environment than residential streets.”
What league will Leeds United be playing in next season?
Premier League
Championship
Whilst there is still no official confirmation on when the campaign resume, it had been stated previously by EFL chairman Rick Parry that clubs could work towards returning to training on May 16, with plans to restart the following month. Once it does start, the report indicates that the season could be finished within 56 days, which would include the play-offs.
Leeds will be eager for the final nine Championship games to be played, as Bielsa’s men hold a seven point lead over third place in the race for automatic promotion. They had been in fine form before the enforced break though, winning their last five games in the league without conceding a goal.