Southampton kicked out of Championship play-offs as Middlesbrough back in
Southampton has been kicked out of the Championship play-offs because of the ‘Spygate’ scandal.
After beating Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-finals, it came out that someone from Southampton’s staff had secretly watched their rivals’ training before the first game.
Soon after, Southampton was charged with breaking EFL rules, which put their spot in the final in serious doubt.
The EFL said they would hold a disciplinary hearing about this incident and any penalties by May 19.
Southampton was charged with spying on the training sessions of Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and filming Middlesbrough before their play-off semi-final.
Now, it’s official—the EFL has decided to remove Southampton from the final. Middlesbrough will take their place and face Hull City for a chance to get promoted to the Premier League.
Southampton broke two important rules: one that requires clubs to treat each other fairly and another that bans watching or filming another team’s training within 72 hours before a match.
Southampton admitted to these mistakes, with the EFL confirming they had “multiple breaches” related to filming other clubs without permission.
Besides being kicked out, Southampton will also lose four points at the start of next season’s Championship.
The EFL said, “Southampton was first charged on May 8, with extra charges added on May 17 for further rule-breaking during the 2025-26 season. These involved matches against Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough.
The EFL is now talking to all three clubs about what this decision means and will share more updates soon.”
This is a big setback for Southampton, who still have the right to appeal the decision. Reports say the club has already started the appeal process.
Right after the news, Middlesbrough posted a statement welcoming the decision and sharing their plans.
“Middlesbrough Football Club supports today’s ruling,” they said. “We believe it sends a strong message about honesty and fair play in football. Now, we’re focusing on our match against Hull City at Wembley this Saturday.”
After the charges, Middlesbrough stayed ready to return to training depending on the outcome of the hearing, eager to fight for promotion to the Premier League.
The final will still be on Saturday at Wembley, but the kick-off time is still to be announced. Middlesbrough fans will get info about buying tickets soon.
Meanwhile, Southampton fans who already bought tickets for the game will get a full refund.