The EFL disciplinary commission have finished their hearing on Southampton
Southampton fans gesture to the Middlesbrough fans amid the Spygate scandal(Image: Simon Dael/Shutterstock)
Middlesbrough will play Hull City in the play-off final after an EFL disciplinary commission expelled Southampton for spying on Boro’s training.
In a hearing with the EFL, Southampton accepted multiple misconduct charges that were brought against them after Boro caught a club employee recording their training session ahead of the first leg of the play-off semi final.
Despite accepting the charges, it’s understood that Southampton tried to argue that expulsion from the play-offs was too severe a punishment, whereas the EFL argued that it was the punishment that should be passed.
The independent commission considered the evidence before making their decision. The written reasons explaining in more detail the arguments presented and the decision taken are expected to be released in due course.
As well as expulsion from the play-offs, Southampton have received a four-point deduction applied for next season. The final is currently set to still take place on Saturday, with a kick-off time to be confirmed. Southampton will have the right to apply and the EFL hope to have that resolved by close of play Wednesday. Subject to the outcome, it could result in further change to Saturday’s game.
But, for now, Boro are now reinstated to the play-offs and will take on Hull City in the final. It remains unclear whether the final will still take place on Saturday, with updates to follow from the EFL.
Southampton will be entitled to an appeal process which could further delay matters. The EFL confirmed in a statement last week that they had contingency plans for this eventuality, which was understood to be moving the date of the final, most likely to next Tuesday.
The hearing took place without Boro’s involvement, after the disciplinary commission decided they could not intervene. A strongly worded Boro statement had made clear their regret over the decision, and made clear they hoped the EFL would pursue Southampton’s expulsion in the case.
The charges were brought against Southampton ahead of the first leg of the play-off semi final. It came after Boro caught someone recording their training session on the Thursday before the game.
It was a session in which Kim Hellberg was working on his gameplan for the first leg – a new plan which he’d devised to specifically deal with Southampton’s threats and expose their weaknesses. On top of that, Boro had worked on set-pieces and practices penalties too.
As the EFL’s investigation began, the play-off ties went ahead as planned and Southampton ended up winning 2-1 in extra-time at St Mary’s after a goalless draw at the Riverside.
Making his feelings clear on the matter, an emotional Hellberg said previously: “When I take the Middlesbrough job, I know that there are clubs with bigger resources or parachute payments, that means more money to spend. There are teams, to be fair, that had bigger squads than us. Teams that have more money to spend.
“What you have as a coach and what you have as a group is the tactical element of the game – where we can beat the opponent. And that’s what I think everyone loves about the game.
“When you battle with teams who have more money and a bigger squad, you try to find a way of doing the tactical element to get the advantage. That’s what you always try to do because we can be better in that element.
“When that is taken away from you, I think it’s no longer fair. It has nothing to do with what they see or what they saw, how they affected the game, or if it was free kicks they saw, or goal kicks they saw, whatever they saw.
“It breaks my heart in terms of all those things I believed in. I don’t care if there’s different rules in other countries. This is England. I think this is where football is the biggest thing. That’s my feelings about it. I think that is disgraceful to a colleague who you work against. It makes me very sad.”
