Old Leeds United rivalry reignited as Coventry City appoint Frank Lampard as new manager

An old rivalry from Leeds United’s Marcelo Bielsa days will be reignited later this season after Frank Lampard was officially appointed manager of Coventry City.

The 46-year-old will take charge of the Sky Blues for the first time this Saturday when his new side face Cardiff at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Lampard will be joined by coaches Joe Edwards and Chris Jones.

The former Everton and Chelsea boss has been out of work since ending his second spell at Stamford Bridge in May 2023 but ihas now been broght in to replace Mark Robins who was sacked earlier this month, after a seven-year spell where he led the Sky Blues from League Two to a Championship play-off final and FA Cup semi-final.

Coventry owner and executive chairman Doug King said: “I am delighted that Frank Lampard has agreed to join our club as head coach. Frank cut his teeth in the Championship and knows what is needed in this league to be successful.

“His experiences thereafter at Chelsea and Everton will ensure he brings to our talented squad clear understanding of exactly what is needed to succeed at the very top level that we as a club are striving to reach.”

Leeds wil take on Coventry in February, brining back memories of Lampard’s time in charge of Derby County,

The Rams were locked in a heated rivalry with United during Bielsa's first year in charge at Elland Road, following revelations that a Leeds coach had been watching training sessions from a public footpath just outside of their facility. Leeds were fined £200,000 by the EFL - an amount Bielsa insisted he pay personally - and drew criticism from Lampard in particular, who said it went against the values of the English game.

While Lampard, who would eventually lead Derby to Play-off semi-final success over Leeds, criticised Bielsa at the time, he would later praise the Argentine and admit he ‘wasn’t that bothered’ by what became known as ‘Spygate’.

“We went to Leeds and beat an amazing Leeds team, they were brilliant, they beat us three times, and it was special for me as a coach to go up to one of the greatest modern day coaches. In terms of ideas, he’s a great coach,” Lampard said.

“He was unique. We played them in my second game. He came into the office and he was fine, but he didn’t speak the language at all. He was different to what I’m used to. I respected his quirkiness, he was really intelligent in a football sense, complete respect for him up until beating them. Even with the Spygate stuff, that story ran away, at the time I wanted to say something about it, but I wasn’t that bothered. I defended myself and defended the club as I saw it.”

Coventry are currently 17th in the Championship, two points outside the relegation places but they did manage a draw against Leeds’ promotion rivals Sheffield United at the weekend before losing to another in Burnley on Tuesday night.

Leeds are due to travel to the Coventry Building Society Arena on February 8.