Finance expert sends Dragan Solak warning after Southampton, Spygate scandal | OneFootball

Southampton are continuing to understand the fallout of their play-off expulsion

Southampton will have to settle for another year in the Championship after being expelled from the play-offs.

The Saints admitted to spying on three opponents’ training sessions after being accused by Middlesbrough of filming them prior to their play-off semi-final first leg.

The Hampshire outfit were removed from the competition as a result, as well as handed a four point deduction penalty for next season.

Tonda Eckert’s side had earned their place in the play-off final by beating Boro 2-1 on aggregate, but it was ultimately for nothing as both sides missed out on promotion at the expense of Hull City.

Southampton will now be expecting a busy summer, as they look to bounce back from the scandal and potentially compete for promotion again in the next campaign.

But the fallout of their play-off expulsion could yet rumble on for the next few weeks and months, which could prove quite disruptive for the club.

Southampton receive finance warning after spygate

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has warned Southampton owner Dragan Solak that the club have likely not seen the last of the fallout of the spying scandal, with legal action likely to be taken against them.

Whether it is from their current players or from rivals such as Wrexham, who finished seventh and just missed out on the play-offs, he believes that the financial incentive is there to pursue action against the Saints due to the money being lost.

"I have spoken to some Saints fans - some are being philosophical about it, some are still very angry," said Maguire, via the BBC.

"I think their anger is directed towards the club more than anybody else.

“And we still don't know where we are in terms of, will there be cases lodged by Wrexham and other clubs who just missed out on the play- offs – could those be directed at Southampton?

"We don't know what the position is in terms of the players who say they might have been denied the right to play in the Premier League.

"You take a look at a footballer's contract.

“They are highly incentivised towards success and competing at the elite end, so I don't think we have seen the end of legal issues over the course of the summer and it is not the reason why any of us have fallen in love with football.

"I think part of the reason there has been a silence from the club over the past few days is that they will have launched an internal investigation and will be trying to identify just how far up the management chain these events have been authorised or have people been turning a blind eye?

“Because there will be some very serious financial ramifications for individuals and potentially the club itself."

Southampton ended the regular campaign with a 19-game unbeaten run in which they climbed up the table and into fourth.

The Saints also reached the FA Cup semi-final, losing to Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium, with Eckert receiving a lot of praise for turning things around at St. Mary’s.

The 33-year-old took over the team after a poor start to the campaign under Will Still, who was dismissed in November of last year.

But now Eckert’s future at the club is unclear due to the evidence that has emerged of his role in the spying scandal.

The Football Association have also opened an investigation into the individuals involved in the case, which could lead to a potential ban for the head coach.

It remains to be seen whether the players will take legal action against the club, but it has been reported that some are considering their options at this stage.

Legal action against Southampton could be ruinous

If Southampton’s players take action against the club then it’s hard to see how they could continue playing in the first team squad long-term.

This threatens a summer of massive upheaval, which could cost the Saints a fortune, and that’s before any potential legal threat from Championship rivals.

It remains to be seen whether Eckert will remain in charge of the team, but it’s difficult to foresee him winning back over fans and players that have turned on him as a result of this scandal.

Southampton could be dealing with the consequences of this for months, and that’s before considering the reputational damage they have already suffered.