Middlesbrough are due to face Southampton in the first leg of the play-off semi-final at the Riverside on Saturday, but there has already been controversy between the two teams.
Southampton will face Middlesbrough in the play-offs (Image: Getty Images)
Middlesbrough have arrested a suspected Southampton ‘spy’ who secretly videotaped their training ahead of their play-off clash. The Teessiders welcome Tonda Eckert’s side to Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the first leg of their semi-final showdown.
And the Saints appear to be working harder than ever to gain an edge. According to the Mail Online, Middlesbrough staff discovered a person hiding in bushes at Rockliffe Park training centre.
They were believed to be recording Boro’s training sessions. After the man was identified, he deleted the videos and photos from his phone, but refused to identify himself.
The man in question then reportedly left the scene and headed to the Rockliffe Hall Hotel, where he changed clothes. It has been suggested that Middlesbrough have already informed the EFL of the incident and are currently investigating.
Championship teams are prohibited from viewing an upcoming opponent’s training session 72 hours before a match unless invited. The rules were introduced after Leeds United staff were accused of spying on Derby County ahead of a 2019 league match.
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Leeds manager Marco Bielsa subsequently admitted he had fallen behind in planning, and the Yorkshire club were fined £200,000 in the aftermath. Although the incident has not been mentioned, both managers have already commented on Saturday’s game.
Boro coach Kim Helberg said: “It’s going to be two very good games of football. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be between two attack-minded teams and two teams that want to press and play. It’s going to be two great games of football.”
“They are definitely more confident the moment they do something good (than when they lost 4-0 to Boro in January).
Kim Helberg aims to get Middlesbrough promoted to the Premier League (Image: Getty Images)
“But there are always similarities with the same players and the same manager. It will be a good game. They are confident and so are we.”
Meanwhile, Southampton manager Eckert admitted his side are looking for revenge after losing 4-0 in January. “We’re a very different team than we were at the beginning of January. I think the group has made great strides,” he said in the pre-match press conference.
“We’re now at the part of the season where we’ve done this in every game, no matter who the opponent is, without looking back too much.
“At this point in the season, I don’t think it matters how the games went (so far) because there’s going to be a new chapter, and we need to be ready for that chapter.”
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