Frank Lampard has said that Marcelo Bielsa was ‘completely right’ in allowing Aston Villa to
Leeds scored one of the most controversial Championship goals in years gone by when Mateusz Klich fired home on 72 minutes, after Aston Villa players had stopped playing due to an injury to Jonathan Kodjia.
A melee between both teams ensued, but Bielsa instructed his United players to let Villa score from the kickoff, which they did despite Pontus Jansson’s efforts to stop Albert Adomah.
The Argentine coach has been praised for his sportsmanship, and Lampard, who was at loggerheads with the Leeds boss over Spygate earlier in the season, admits that his former foe was absolutely correct in what he did.
The Derby County boss said: “I thought it was the right thing to do, completely right.
“The game did not have anything on it. Thankfully, it was not a game that was absolutely defining for either team. It makes the decision easier to allow them to score the goal.”
The Rams’ manager added that although he can understand Villa’s frustration with Klich, he ‘doesn’t like’ it when teams halt play before the referee signals a stoppage.
“I don’t like people stopping [playing]. You have to continue. What happened was that Leeds slowed down as well, with the ball, in a motion to almost look like they were going to kick it out.
“That is why Villa were quite rightly upset, because you have that sporting moment that you kind of know they are going to kick it out, everyone stops.
“I think you should carry on until the referee says. So I understand how Villa felt when Leeds went on and scored.”