Marcelo Bielsa admitted Leeds have spied on every team this season as he gave a sensational 70-minute PowerPoint presentation which included a detailed analysis on how to beat Derby County - the other team in the centre of the 'spygate' storm.
Five key points in Bielsa's briefing
1. He had spies at every opponent's training ground this season
Bielsa: 'I observed all rivals we played against. We watched all the training sessions before we played them.'
2. His staff spend over 200 hours analysing every team Leeds play against
Bielsa: 'Of each opponent we watched all the games of 2018-19 - we watched the 51 games of Derby County. The analysis of each game takes four hours of work - why did we do that? Because we think it is professional behaviour.'
3. He has files on every aspect of opposing players and teams – right down to the number of minutes they have played in each position
Bielsa: 'I might not be able to speak English but I can speak about the 24 teams of the Championship. Derby have played 4-3-3 49.9 per cent of the season... we use this to understand the system and why and when they change the system during a game.'
4. Even Pep Guardiola was impressed – having been handed a Bielsa dossier on Barcelona while he was Nou Camp boss
Bielsa: 'Guardiola had a look at it and he told me 'you know more about Barcelona than me'.'
5. Leeds play Stoke this weekend… so he's watched every game of new manager Nathan Jones' former club Luton
Bielsa: 'As we're going to play against Stoke, it's hard to analyse them with a new head coach. So we analyse the 26 games he played with Luton and the structures he used'
And now goes the full article:
In a remarkable press conference that saw Bielsa hold nothing back in showing how he prepares his players for the opposition, he revealed stats pack and hours of footage on rival players, formations and results archives with a particular focus on Derby.
Twenty-four hours before Leeds took on promotion rivals Derby at Elland Road on Friday night, a member of Bielsa's staff was spotted at the Rams' training ground and police were called leading to the EFL launching a formal investigation into what quickly became dubbed as 'spygate'.
Frank Lampard and his players were upset by what they felt was a move that crossed the line and while Bielsa admitted he was behind it on the night of the game, he further clarified his position on Wednesday in an incredible level of detail; he spoke to the media for over an hour providing video analysis and an array of data on the Rams.
The assembled media sat in front of a computer screen which projected a presentation with all of Bielsa's backroom staff stood at the back of the room.
The Leeds manager was joined by trusted translator Salim Lamrani on a small table at the front of the room as he made his way through a incredibly detailed presentation.
'I called this press conference because we have a normal press conference tomorrow. I thought this Spygate matter would take more time to explain,' Bielsa began.
'I don't want to compare my behaviour with previous behaviour that are similar.
'I heard there are others which also affected fair play but absolutely, I don't want to defend myself by attacking others. What I've done is not illegal. It's not specified (in the rules) and it's not restrained.
'We can discuss it, it's not seen as a good thing but it's not a violation of the law. I know that not everything that is legal is right to do.'
Reading from a pre-prepared statement, Bielsa added: 'If you observe something without the authorisation of the people being observed we call it spying and we say it is spying.
'I can't say it's the right thing to do but I'm going to explain that I didn't have bad intentions or get an advantage.'
Scrutiny intensified on Leeds in the wake of the 2-0 win over Derby with the EFL launching a formal investigation into the matter.
Bielsa took responsibility at the time and has now reiterated it has been a common part of the club's operation since he took charge in the summer.
Rather than back down. Bielsa remained calm as he revealed the justification behind spying as he said: 'When you watch an opponent, you are looking for specific information.
'You want to know what is the starting XI, what is the tactical system that's going to be used and the strategic decisions taken on set pieces.
'When you go to watch a training session of the opponent, you get this information the day before a game or you confirm the information you already have.'
Having completed a detailed PowerPoint presentation, Bielsa switched to an excel document which had all the data he and his staff members had collected on rivals.
The Leeds boss wanted to show the media the analysis the club gathered without spying on rivals' training.
It was also telling that the room was filled with a pile of paper dossiers put together for friendlies over the summer and games from last season.
Bielsa was keeping nothing secret as he exposed the model he has set-up behind the scenes at Elland Road.
Pointing at the screen, Bielsa said: 'Of each opponent we watched all of the games from the 2017-18 season. The 51 games of Derby County.
'We watched them. The analysis of each game takes four hours of work. Why did we do that? Because we think this is professional behaviour.'
The presentation exceeded one hour as Bielsa asked journalists in attendance to pick specific matches so he could show them the level of analysis from each of Derby's 51 matches last season.
'The way to respect football is to make the effort to know the players in the team,' he added. 'I can't speak English but I can speak about the 24 teams of the Championship.'
He went into immense detail on Derby in particular, given they are the side at the centre of the latest spy storm.
He revealed: 'I feel ashamed to have to tell you all this. Let's talk about the analysis that Derby played this season.
'They played 31 games. 49 per cent they used a 4-3-3 system with No 8 on the right. In 22 per cent a 4-3-3 - but with the No 8 on the left.
'Same for the 4-2-1-3, with the No 8 on the right and left. They also used structures, three per cent, two per cent, but they're not significant.
'Before the game we knew perfectly that they would use these kind of systems.
'Why do I go? Because it's not forbidden, I didn't know it would create such a reaction and even though going and watching an opponent is not useful, it allows me to keep my anxiety low.'
Bielsa is one of the finest managers in world football and one of his most ardent supporters is Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who previously referred to Bielsa as 'the best coach in the world'.
And taking a short tangent from dissecting Leeds' Championship rivals, Bielsa shared a story of how he tactically took apart Guardiola's famous Barcelona side.
He revealed how he showed Guardiola his analysis after Athletic Bilbao lost to Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey final.
Bielsa said: 'Guardiola had a look at it and he told me "you know more about Barcelona than me". But it was useless information because they scored three goals.'
There were fears among the club's supporters that the emergency press conference could see Bielsa - who has a history for shock departures at Marseille, Lazio and Lille - resign from his role over the scandal.
But in a sensational data-driven breakdown, Bielsa took apart 'spygate' with a detailed assessment of Derby based on extensive data from his backroom team on every single player in the Rams' ranks.
Video analysis of players such as Harry Wilson featured and Bielsa revealed 40 minutes of footage is condensed, retaining the key details, into eight minute clips to make it digestible for his players.
Derby were not the only side to get particular focus in the presentation as it emerged that given Stoke City changed manager last week, appointing Nathan Jones, Bielsa and his staff have now studied every Luton Town game from last season to get a better understanding of Jones' tactics and philosophy.
In what proved his final point before he walked out of the room in dramatic fashion, he said: 'To conclude, as we're going to play vs Stoke, and it is hard for us to analyse them, as they've only played a few games with a new head coach.
'We analysed the 26 games that he played with Luton, and we also analysed the tactical scenarios he used.'
With the EFL's investigation is ongoing, the league are likely to take this fresh information on board as they come to their findings.