"To get a fair play award off the back of (Spygate) is...I thought it was irony at first."
Saturday 28 September 2019 06:52, UK
Frank Lampard admitted he was shocked to see Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds win the FIFA Fair Play Award in the wake of the 'Spygate' scandal.
Argentine Bielsa and his club were recognised at the governing body's annual award ceremony in Milan for allowing Aston Villa to score an uncontested goal.
However, Leeds were earlier this year fined £200,000 and given a severe reprimand by the English Football League after manager Bielsa sent a member of his staff to spy on a Derby training session.
Chelsea boss Lampard, who was Rams manager at the time of the west Yorkshire side's undercover operation in January, branded the fair play accolade "strange".
Asked if he choked on his breakfast cereal when he heard the news, Lampard replied: "I did smile. Do we know who votes for these things?
"What happened with Spygate was very well documented, and then they got fined, the rules changed slightly because of it, I felt it was improper.
"To get a fair play award off the back of that is...I thought it was irony at first.
"It was a strange decision for them to win that.
"I think everyone had the same reaction (to the fair play award), to be fair, because a lot of news was put to Spygate.
"And I think quite rightly so and it got dealt with in the right way, so when you go and give an award for fair play in the same year then I don't think it's right."
Lampard believes Callum Hudson-Odoi can become the best player in the world and has urged him to listen to some "hard truths" and use Raheem Sterling as a role model.
Hudson-Odoi recently ended speculation about his Stamford Bridge future by signing a new five-year contract before making a goalscoring return from a ruptured Achilles tendon in the midweek Carabao Cup thrashing of Grimsby.
Despite the promising comeback after five months out, Blues boss Lampard feels the England international remains far from the finished article.
"I know Callum's talent and he's got huge talent, hence why the club was so keen to get him signed up and we're all delighted with that," said Lampard.
"But there is a lot of work to do.
"Raheem Sterling is an incredible example of a player with great talent whose work ethic added to that talent, and an improvement in a short period of time through absolute dedication to a complete player that we are all wowed by.
"(That) is exactly the great model for Callum because he has those talents. And I want him to be the best, the absolute best, because he has the potential to do that.
"And some of that is some hard truths and I saw some hard truths out of the game the other day in ways that he can improve.
"He needs to listen to them, and he will, and then he can be that player for us, which is great news for everybody."
