Middlesbrough make 2 demands to the EFL over Southampton spying incident ft big play-off twist | OneFootball

Middlesbrough want Southampton to be hit with sporting sanctions over 'Spygate', as they also called for a quick resolution.

Middlesbrough’s play-off clash against Southampton has been overshadowed by ‘cheating’ accusations aimed at the south coast side.

The two teams played out a 0-0 draw on Saturday at the Riverside Stadium, less than 24 hours after reports had emerged stating someone from Saints had been spying on Boro’s training going into the clash.

An investigation was launched by the EFL, which saw Southampton charged with misconduct, and it’s now a case of waiting to see what sort of punishment, if found guilty, an independent disciplinary commission deems necessary.

Middlesbrough’s stance over Spygate made clear to EFL

As you would expect, Boro were furious when they found someone had been watching their pre-match preparations for such a crucial clash, with boss Kim Hellberg stating it was ‘cheating’.

And, fresh reports have outlined Middlesbrough’s stance towards the EFL, as the Northern Echo has revealed that the club has two demands.

Firstly, they want the commission to take place as soon as possible, and they are also insisting that ‘sporting sanctions’ are applied to Southampton, as opposed to a fine.

Obviously, that is complicated by the second leg taking place on Tuesday night. Yet, the update explains how Boro believe kicking Saints out of the play-offs shouldn't be ruled out, so it's said that Hellberg 'would be told to keep his players in training until a commission ruling is delivered', even if they lose on the south coast.

That would be a remarkable situation, but they add how Boro are keen to tell the commission why 'Spygate' was 'so damaging' to Hellberg and the players.

The complications that come with not knowing who will play in the final is also a key factor in Boro urging the commission to make a quick decision, even if they can't influence the speed of the outcome.

Previously, when Leeds had been accused of something similar by Derby County, they were hit with a fine of £200,000, but, at the time, there were no specific rules preventing this from happening.

Since then, rules have been put in place to stop this, so Saints’ alleged breach will be seen as worse, as they have knowingly broken the rules.

Middlesbrough and Southampton play-off second leg will have an extra edge

Boro are understandably unhappy about what has gone on, and the fact they are even contemplating the prospect Southampton could be kicked out of the play-offs shows how seriously they view the matter.

The EFL have charged Southampton, and the independent disciplinary commission will have to listen to all parties to work out what has happened, who was behind it, and decide on a suitable punishment, and the reality is that this will take time.

That’s not going to happen before the second leg on Tuesday night, and the only thing that matters for all clubs is trying to reach Wembley, which would give them a shot at the Premier League.

In some ways, it’s a shame that this has dominated the headlines, as these are two very good teams, and Middlesbrough’s first half performance on Saturday was superb, but they couldn’t take advantage, and Saints improved as it went on.

So, the game is evenly poised, and there is so much on the line, but there’s no denying that the off-field issue has added an extra needle to the fixture.

Ultimately, it’s now out of Middlesbrough's hands, and whilst they are right to make these requests if they feel it's right, they aren’t going to determine what sort of punishment Southampton are sanctioned with.

As outlined above, this will be an ongoing process in the background, and it may become less of a talking point if Middlesbrough can overcome Southampton by knocking them out.

If they don’t, you can be sure that this is something that will drag on until a verdict is reached, and it will be intriguing to see what does happen.