Southampton booked their place in the play-off final with a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, but the fallout from the so-called ‘Spygate’ scandal still lingers.
Middlesbrough are reportedly submitting new evidence in the ‘Spygate’ case against Southampton. (Image: Simon Dael/Shutterstock)
As the so-called ‘Spygate’ scandal unfolds further, Middlesbrough have reportedly received new evidence that Southampton have been spying on two other clubs throughout the season. Boro lost the play-off semi-final to Saints, but the draw centered on the spying scandal.
Southampton were accused of misconduct by the EFL after members of the club’s analytics team were allegedly caught spying on training as Middlesbrough prepared for the first leg last week. This has led to calls for Southampton to be kicked out of the play-offs.
The Sun reports that as well as having CCTV footage of the suspected spy from last week, Middlesbrough also have evidence from two other Championship teams who believe they were spied on during the regular season.
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With the outcome of the situation uncertain, Middlesbrough will continue training this week in preparation for the play-off final against Hull City. The match will be played at Wembley Stadium on May 23rd.
Normally, teams would depart for summer vacation after losing in the playoffs. However, coach Kim Helberg explained that plans are in place for the team to get back to work.
In 2019, the EFL introduced new rules banning members of opposing teams from attending team practice sessions within 72 hours of a match. This came after the first altercation between Leeds United and Derby County resulted in then-Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa receiving a fine.
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After losing 2-1 in overtime to the Saints at St. Mary’s, Helberg gave an emotional reaction in his post-game press conference. “What I could control was the tactical side of the game and helping the players more,” he said.
“If we can do that, then in the week or two leading up to this game I will be away from my family for every second and watch every Southampton game as much as possible and try to get any real advantage that we can get.
“If we didn’t get that guy that they sent on that five-hour drive, you’d sit there and say we probably did a good job on the tactical side of the game. And I’d go home and feel like we failed on that side of the game where we had to help the players.”
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“When it was taken away from us in that way, when someone decided, ‘No, we’re not going to watch every match. Instead, we’re going to send someone to film the sessions and watch everything and hope we don’t get caught.’ I think that’s why they swapped clothes and everything else.
“It breaks my heart for everything I believe in. That’s the problem. I don’t care if different countries have other rules. This is England, where football is the biggest thing. That’s how I feel about football. I think it’s a disgrace. It makes me very sad.”
Meanwhile, Southampton manager Tonda Eckert walked out of a second press conference. When asked: “Are you a fraud?” he made no reply, but a Southampton spokesperson said: “Please be respectful,” and the pair then left.
A tantrum flares up between Kim Helberg and Tonda Eckert during the play-off semi-final between Southampton and Boro (Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
“The club is cooperating fully with the EFL and the disciplinary committee, while also conducting an internal investigation to ensure all facts and context are properly understood,” Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Given the tense fixture schedule and short turnaround between games, we have requested time to complete that process thoroughly and responsibly. While we understand the discussion and speculation that has ensued in recent days, we also believe it is important to establish the full situation before any conclusions are reached.”
