EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSouthampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on multiple opponents during the 2025-26 season.The English Football League (EFL) has hit Southampton with an additional four-point deduction ahead of next term.- Boro players on standby pending 'Spygate' verdictMiddlesbrough, who lost to Southampton in their playoff semifinal, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday for a spot in the Premier League.Southampton have appealed the decision, sources told ESPN. It will be heard on May 20 with a decision likely to come within 24 hours."Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture," the EFL said.The EFL originally charged Southampton with spying on Middlesbrough ahead of the first leg of their playoff semifinal. But further charges were levelled at Southampton on May 17 "in relation to additional breaches during the 2025-26 season" that corresponded to their fixture against Oxford United in Dec. 2025 and Ipswich in April 2026.Southampton admitted breaches of the regulations "requiring clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match."The EFL said the written reasons for the commission's sanctions would be issued in due course, and that it would now hold further discussions with the three clubs regarding the implications of the decision.Middlesbrough, which had called last week for Southampton to be kicked out over the scandal, issued a statement welcoming the decision, adding: "We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct."As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday. Ticket information for our supporters will be available shortly."The playoff final is labeled the world's richest one-off soccer match because a windfall of at least �200 million ($270m) in future earnings is on offer for the winning team.Promotion to the top flight of English football -- the world's wealthiest and most-watched league -- brings with it access to its multibillion-dollar global broadcast deals as well as sold out stadiums for games against the biggest teams in the world like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.Southampton were relegated from the Premier League after finishing bottom of the standings last season and was aiming to make an immediate return.The stunning decision to expel it from the final comes after Leeds were previously punished for spying.In 2019, the EFL fined Leeds $259,000 for spying on one of Derby's training sessions ahead of a game.Marcelo Bielsa, who was manager of Leeds at the time, accepted responsibility for having a club employee spy on Derby's practice. In a detailed, hourlong news conference, Bielsa later admitted to having watched at least one of each of his opponents' training sessions.In handing out that fine, the EFL said Leeds' conduct "fell significantly short of the standards expected by the EFL and must not be repeated."The Southampton incident has echoes of Canada's Olympic women's soccer team, which was penalized for flying drones over New Zealand's closed practice sessions ahead of the teams' match at the Paris Games in 2024.The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
