Southampton reach Wembley as spygate row erupts at tense press conference | OneFootball

Southampton beat Middlesbrough 2-1 after extra time at St Mary’s to reach the play-off final at Wembley, where they will face Hull after the Tigers beat Millwall. An alleged spying row overshadowed the tie.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the EFL have charged Saints over claims a club employee spied at Rockliffe Park last Thursday, with the outcome to be decided by an independent panel, and Saints could face a fine or a sporting sanction, including a points deduction next season or loss of their play-off place.

The post-match press conference turned fractious as Tonda Eckert declined to comment. Asked “are you a cheat?” he and a club press officer left, the latter saying “show some respect”.

Southampton have requested more time for an internal review after an individual, reportedly a performance analyst, was found by Boro staff watching and recording training less than 72 hours before the game. The EFL charge references a rule introduced after the Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa case against Derby in 2019.

Boro head coach Kim Hellberg was emotional after the extra-time defeat. Days before the second leg he used the word “cheat” about the situation, saying: “Someone made a decision to go and try to cheat, that’s clear.”

Middlesbrough suffered the same play-off disappointment Albion endured at St Mary’s two years ago at the end of 2023/24. After that match, Baggies boss Carlos Corberan said Albion’s team bus was delayed amid traffic chaos and poor organisation before kick-off.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com