Written for The Courier but not published due to an editorial mix-up, by the time it was sorted out the story was unfortunately no longer in the news cycle.
Nearly everyone likes Marcelo Bielsa. Cut him and he’ll bleed football, that much is clear. Images, like the one currently doing the rounds on social media, of his shadow cast onto a backdrop of the meticulous preparation he and his staff conducted prior to their match with Derby County, only serve to amplify this legendary status. It somehow brings to mind the signal used by Gotham Police Department when they want to summon the Batman in times of crisis – Bielsa’s propensity for avant-garde tactics and off-field controversy have, I believe, endeared him to fans and earned him a similarly superhero status in the world of modern football.
It’s with some resentment therefore that I say I think he has received something of an easy ride during ‘Spygate’. The current trend seems to be to say that the whole thing is a bit of a storm in a teacup, something that only your proverbial ‘da’ is worried about, and to some extent this is true. I doubt Bielsa is the first manager in England to have used such covert tactics and in all likelihood won’t be the last. He shouldn’t face any disciplinary action either, he hasn’t broken any existing rules. He has, in reality, just been a bit of a shithouse…
However, had it been Tony Pulis or Neil Warnock, who perpetually face accusations of such shithousery, who had despatched spies to watch their opposition’s training sessions I suspect the reaction would have been more severe. Some might respond to this by saying the Argentine should get a pass because he is not well versed in the traditions and values of English football, as the previously mentioned managers clearly are. With regards to this I would echo Frank Lampard’s sentiments when he suggested Bielsa ought to have been more diligent in learning the sporting customs of the country in which he is managing.
Other Bielsa apologists have indignantly cried “journalists only care about spying when it’s someone else!” with reference to the media’s propensity to reveal England line ups on the eve of a major international tournament. This is obviously a legitimate grievance, but to suggest that this means Bielsa should get a pass is strange logic indeed. The same holds true for those suggesting that football should address diving and match fixing before it addresses stuff like this – why can’t we do both?
This whataboutery provides a perfect illustration of why people say football fans are so fickle: a few mystic images of the man stood in front of his admittedly impressive preparations and they are willing to abandon their supposedly deeply-held sporting principles. While the moral outrage from certain quarters has undoubtedly been over the top, surely a training ground should remain a sacred place, one where managers can prepare their teams in confidence. To this the riposte might be that this kind of thing has always happened. Again though, does this make it right?
It’s a shame, but the F.A would now be sensible to codify this principle to reflect these sporting values and to protect managers’ completely reasonable desire for privacy. All of this is not to say Bielsa is a villain however, we can forgive what is ultimately a small misdemeanour. Ultimately, the whole saga is more revealing of the attitudes prevalent in football fans and in certain journalistic circles than it is of anything else.
Adam Williams - Portfolio 