Mark Cooper says Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa 'spied' on Forest Green with his blessing.

Cooper, the son of former Leeds and England legend Terry Cooper, revealed Bielsa contacted his club during pre-season ahead of their game with the Championship outfit in August - Bielsa's first game in charge of the Elland Road outfit.

Cooper said: "When we stayed away in Devon, and I know for a fact - they told us they sent analysts to our pre-season match at Brimscombe to film it and sent an analyst to Torquay to film that game."

"It's the remarkable story that has gripped English football since it came to light last week, but Cooper's thinks the iconic South American manager of Leeds United is something special.

"Marcelo is from a different culture, and has a different way of doing things and I have got nothing against it."
Cooper added: "When you watch his team play last week against Derby, it’s on a different planet to anything we have seen in this country."