Steve Gibson takes fresh Middlesbrough, Spygate action as familiar Sheffield Wednesday name hired | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have taken a drastic step in reaction to the Southampton spying case

Middlesbrough suffered defeat to Southampton in the semi-finals of the play-offs with a 2-1 loss on aggregate - but that is going to be far from the end of the story.

The Teesside outfit drew 0-0 at the Riverside Stadium last weekend, but a loss in extra time at St Mary’s ended their hopes of promotion from the Championship.

However, Kim Hellberg’s side could potentially be reinstated for the final due to an EFL charge relating to spying that’s been alleged against the Saints.

A hearing will take place in the coming days to determine a potential punishment, with it being reported that the Hampshire outfit will accept the charge.

While Leeds United were fined £200,000 for spying on Derby County in February 2019, a rule has since been introduced banning the practice, which could lead to sporting sanctions.

Hull City await in the final after they eliminated Millwall from promotion contention with a 2-0 aggregate win in their semi-final earlier this week, but it's still not clear who they'll actually be facing.

Middlesbrough: Steve Gibson hires top lawyer for Spygate case

It has been reported by The Telegraph (May 12, 7:01pm) that Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has hired lawyer Nick De Marco amid the EFL’s case against Southampton.

De Marco has earned a reputation as a leading figure in the world of sports law, and he was involved in the completion of David Storch’s takeover of Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month as they battled to meet a soft May 1 deadline to get the deal over the line.

The EFL are hoping for a quick turnaround between the opening and closing of the case against Southampton so that a decision can be made before the May 23 date for the play-off final, and Boro owner Steve Gibson has now taken on the services of De Marco as they seek sporting sanctions against the Saints.

There are a number of potential options on the table for a possible punishment against the Hampshire outfit, including expulsion from the play-offs.

Middlesbrough feel quite aggrieved about the entire incident, suggesting they have been cheated out of a place in the play-off final due to the Southampton staff member that spied on their sessions.

However, it remains to be seen what the outcome will be as an independent tribunal investigates the incident.

Evidence is still reportedly being compiled, and it is unclear what impact De Marco can have on the case at this stage despite his reputation.

But Boro will be hoping that he can credibly argue the club’s position that they should be reinstated into the play-offs.

Middlesbrough haven’t competed in the Premier League since 2017, and this was their second play-off disappointment since then, with the team also losing to Coventry City in 2023.

Middlesbrough are throwing everything at Spygate case - Tonda Eckert and Southampton should be worried

It was a tense affair at St. Mary’s on Tuesday night, and the game threatened to boil over on a number of occasions.

There is clearly a lot of animosity towards Southampton from Middlesbrough based on the reaction from the players and Hellberg following the defeat.

The step to hire De Marco as part of the case shows how seriously Boro are taking this incident, and how far they are willing to go to argue their case.

It would be quite extraordinary if they were reinstated to the play-offs, with the only similar example that comes to mind being Denmark’s qualification for Euro 1992 in place of Yugoslavia after they had initially failed to book their place in the competition - Tonda Eckert however should be slightly worried about what may happen in the coming days and week given Boro have turned to a top lawyer with a track record of getting results.