Marcelo Bielsa on why Leeds United winger Jordan Stevens' ban is longer than six weeks

Stevens has also been fined £1,200 by the FA, after accepting a charge over 59 bets, which cost him a total of £510.12.

His ban, which includes all football activities including training, runs until October 10 but Bielsa said the nature of the FA's ban would now naturally lead to another two or three week period of needing to regain the necessary match fitness.

"The mistake he made was in the rules," said Bielsa.

"With the ban that he received, there are a lot of possibilities.

"I think it's good there's a sanction for everyone to remember that if you do this mistake, afterwards you will have consequences.

"But because the ban does not allow him to train, this makes the punishment and the ban longer in practice.

"Because if you are a professional and you cannot train with the group afterwards you will need to or three more weeks to regain the fitness.

"So I don't know if the people who took the decision of the punishment (recognised) that if he cannot play or train for six weeks, afterwards you have two more weeks where he is not going to be able to compete or he can compete but without a good fitness.

"I don't feel I have the authority to make an opinion because I ignore the English culture in this sense.

"But always when you are trying to protect there is a transparency.

"I like this happening, it's the way to protect the sport and afterwards you can make an opinion about a lot of things.

"I don't ignore that there are other things that you can argue, I simply prefer to avoid this argument."