In an official statement, Middlesbrough FC has called for harsh sanctions against Southampton FC. The Saints face exclusion from the playoff final.
By Tuesday, May 19, at the latest, Southampton FC will present its case regarding the so-called “Spygate scandal” before an independent disciplinary committee—and in doing so, may be fighting to retain its spot in the Championship playoff final. In extra time of the semifinal second leg, the Saints had secured their ticket to the “richest game in football,” but that ticket could still be snatched from their hands.
A few days before the first leg, Middlesbrough caught a member of the Saints’ analysis team hiding behind a tree and secretly recording Boro’s training session with a smartphone. However, according to EFL regulations, “no club is permitted to observe, or attempt to observe, another club’s training session within 72 hours prior to a scheduled match between the two clubs.”
Spying incident “strikes at the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition”
It is considered inevitable that the incident will have repercussions. However, it remains unclear what penalty will ultimately be imposed. Since Middlesbrough was not permitted to attend the hearing convened by the EFL, the team—which lost in the semifinals—made clear demands in a statement on Friday.
First, the club expressed regret over the decision to exclude them from the hearing, “as we are directly affected by the matters under review and possess relevant evidence regarding the events in question and their impact on the competition.”
The statement continued: “The conduct in question—namely, the observation and recording of our training session in the run-up to such a significant match—strikes at the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition. Under these circumstances, the only appropriate response is a sporting sanction that would prevent FC Southampton from participating in the EFL Championship playoff final.”
It is hoped “that the EFL, as the regulatory body, will enforce such a sanction before the Disciplinary Committee to protect the integrity of the game, protect all member clubs, and deter any future attempts to gain an unfair and unlawful advantage in the pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.”
EFL has “contingency plans”
Whether the Saints will ultimately be excluded will only become clear once the disciplinary proceedings are concluded. The EFL, for its part, made it clear as early as Thursday that this could “lead to changes to the schedule.”
“The EFL has a range of contingency plans in place should they be required, including provisions for any appeal process should that become necessary,” the league stated.