Southampton’s push to return to the Premier League may be in trouble, but not for the reasons that usually cause a team worry with a spot in England’s top flight within reach.
Tonda Eckert’s side initially booked their spot in the May 23 match with a 2-1 aggregate win over Middlesbrough in the semifinals, though the sporting merit of the result is now the subject of controversy. A picture of someone secretly watching a Boro training session has been the source of the dispute, forcing complaints out of Boro and forcing the EFL to deal with an issue there is little precedent for.
No matter how things shake out, the Saints’ promotion campaign will now be remembered for a scandal called Spygate, one that has resulted in an investigation by the EFL, will involve a hearing in the coming days and could see Eckert’s side eliminated from contention completely. There is now plenty of uncertainty over the Championship promotion playoff final, currently slated for May 23 at London’s Wembley Stadium – known as soccer’s richest game – and set to be contested by the Saints and Hull City, though several changes could be made before a ball is actually kicked.
What are Southampton being accused of?
Middlesbrough reported Southampton to the EFL on May 7, two days before the semifinal first leg, saying they saw a Southampton employee at their training facility. The club said the Southampton staff member was hiding in the bushes while filming training and recording audio of Boro coach Kim Hellberg.
The following day, the EFL charged Southampton with violating regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act in good faith with one another, and regulation 127, which forbids clubs from watching opponents’ training sessions – or attempting to – within 72 hours of the game.
“The club is fully cooperating with the EFL and the disciplinary commission, while also undertaking an internal review to ensure that all facts and context are properly understood,” Southampton CEO Phil Parsons said on Tuesday. “Given the intensity of the fixture schedule and the short turnaround between matches, we have requested time to complete that process thoroughly and responsibly. We understand the discussion and speculation that has followed over recent days, but we also believe it is important that the full context is established before conclusions are drawn.”
What is the EFL’s response so far?
Southampton has been charged after the EFL found them in violation of two different regulations and has asked the club to respond to the charges as quickly as possible rather than afford them the usual 14 days to do so considering the looming deadline of the playoff final on May 23.
The EFL also officially scheduled a hearing for May 19 in front of the independent disciplinary commission, though the date of the hearing is subject to change. There is no timeline for when the decision will be made, though it would likely happen somewhat quickly.
How harshly could Southampton be punished?
All will depend on the result of the hearing but the option of kicking Southampton out of the playoff final is not off the table. Middlesbrough players will reportedly resume training on Friday, per The Guardian, in case they are called upon to play at Wembley but it is important to remember there is little precedent for the EFL to follow. While teams have been fined for spying on others in the Championship previously, those were all during the regular season.
Could the playoff final be moved?
The EFL also has a scheduling issue ahead of them, not just a sporting one. Though they are still selling tickets as scheduled, there is a possibility that the EFL will be unable to make the May 23 date work in case it cannot reach a decision timely enough. Wembley Stadium is booked solid for the next couple of weeks – the Rugby League Challenge Cup final and the Women’s FA Cup final will take place the following weekend and the Summertime Ball, a music festival, is scheduled for June 6.
Player availability might also be an issue ahead of the World Cup. Boro’s Aidan Morris, for example, is a hopeful for the U.S. men’s national team’s roster this summer and could miss the start of the group’s pre-tournament training camp depending on how things go. The USMNT open their camp on May 27 at the new national training center in Fayetteville, Ga. and play their final pre-World Cup friendly on June 6 against Germany in Chicago, shifting to their base camp in Irvine, Calif. afterwards.
