Southampton players ready to take extreme action after Spygate scandal outcome | OneFootball

Southampton have been expelled from the play-offs by the EFL for their role in the spying scandal with Middlesbrough

Southampton have been expelled from the play-offs as a result of the spying scandal involving Middlesbrough.

It was confirmed on Tuesday evening that the Saints have been removed from the competition, and the club have also been handed a four point deduction penalty for next season.

It was alleged by the Teesside outfit that their play-off rivals had spied on their pre-match training session prior to the first leg of their semi-final.

Southampton accepted the charge, and also revealed that they had previously spied on Ipswich Town and Oxford United during the regular league campaign.

Spying is prohibited by the EFL following the original spygate scandal involving Leeds United and Derby County in 2019.

Middlesbrough are now set to take the Hampshire outfit’s place in the final this weekend despite losing 2-1 on aggregate in their two-legged clash with Tonda Eckert’s side.

Southampton players consider legal action

It has been reported by The Athletic that Southampton’s players are weighing up legal action against the club following their expulsion from the play-offs.

While the Saints are set to appeal the decision, which could reinstate them to Saturday’s final, the squad are unhappy with the prospect of missing out on promotion through no fault of their own.

It’s understood that the players were kept away from the scandal as they prepared for their promotion fight.

Several members of the first team squad were believed to be in line to earn significant pay increases as a result of returning to the Premier League.

A lot of talent took a 40 per cent pay cut last year when the club suffered relegation to the Championship, and those salaries were set to return to where they were 12 months ago if promotion was secured.

The players have reportedly contacted the player’s union, the Professional Footballers' Association, for advice on next steps.

The players could potentially pursue legal action regarding loss of earnings, with the club at fault for their expulsion from the play-offs.

It remains to be seen what the outcome of their appeal will be, with a swift resolution expected due to the time sensitivity of the case.

Hull City await in the play-off final, with Middlesbrough set to be their opponents at Wembley Stadium this weekend.

However, there is the possibility that the Saints’ expulsion is overturned, in which case they would be reinstated to the competition in place of Kim Hellberg’s team.

Southampton players have every right to be furious

The chance at earning promotion has been taken away from the Southampton squad, rather than them simply losing that opportunity on the pitch.

It is a remarkable sequence of events, and it’s difficult to predict what will happen next, but it is not surprising that the players would be furious at the club for this outcome.

Legal action against Southampton by members of their squad would be a serious step, and calls into question whether they could even play for the Saints going forward.

The consequences of this expulsion could be far-reaching for the Hampshire outfit, as it could lead to player exits, a drop in revenue from potentially missing out on the Premier League and the kind of reputational damage that might make it difficult to sign new players in the summer.