Published On 5/15/2026
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Last update: 21:27 (Mecca time)
Middlesbrough FC has called for Southampton to be excluded from the Premier League’s promotion play-off final, as the Premier League prepares to hold a hearing into spying allegations.
Southampton beat Middlesbrough in the semi-finals after being accused of illegally filming Middlesbrough training.
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The league warned fans of the possibility of “changes” to the final playoff match scheduled to be held on May 23.
Thus, Hull City, the winner of the other semi-final match over Millwall, remains confused about the identity of the opponent it will face for a ticket to the Premier League next season.
Middlesbrough said in a statement: “The incident in question, specifically the monitoring and recording of our training before a match of this importance, touches on the essence of sporting integrity and fair competition.”
He added: “In these circumstances, the only appropriate response is to impose a sporting penalty that prevents Southampton from participating in the promotion play-off final.”
Last Tuesday, Southampton requested an additional period to complete an internal review after being accused of spying on Middlesbrough’s training before the two teams’ matches in the English Premier League qualifiers.
Southampton confirmed in an official statement that it is “fully cooperating” with the authorities responsible for English football after it was accused of violating the regulations by filming its competitor’s training without permission.
The English Football Association called on an independent disciplinary committee to hold a hearing “as soon as possible.”
The two teams tied in the first leg without goals, last Saturday, and the meeting will be renewed in the return on Tuesday evening in the stronghold of Southampton, and the winner will advance to face Hull City in the qualifying final at Wembley Stadium on May 23.
The two sides of this final are also competing to qualify for the English Premier League, and a financial prize of no less than 200 million pounds sterling (about 254 million dollars) from upcoming profits.
The English First Division League announced that Southampton is accused of violating the regulations that obligate clubs to deal with each other on the basis of the utmost good faith, and also stresses the prohibition of monitoring or attempting to monitor the opponent 72 hours before a match between the two teams.
This incident is the second spying case to hit the English second division, the Championship, in recent years, as the English Premier League decided to fine Leeds United 200,000 pounds (about 254,000 dollars) in 2019 for spying on a training session for the Derby County team.
Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United’s coach at the time, admitted that he was responsible for assigning one of his assistants to spy on Derby County.
