A legal expert explains how EFL might take action against Southampton over the ‘spygate’ issue as a new example comes to light.
A legal expert has shared how the EFL might punish Southampton if they are found guilty in the ongoing ‘spygate’ controversy.
Middlesbrough filed a complaint after they said a Southampton staff member was caught filming their training before the Championship play-off semi-final first leg last Friday.
Southampton went on to win the tie 2-1 on aggregate, after also winning the second leg 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Boro’s manager Kim Hellberg was clearly upset during his post-match press conference, calling the situation “disgraceful.”
He said, “It breaks my heart because it goes against everything I believe in. I don’t care about rules in other countries. This is England, where football means so much. It’s just wrong. It makes me very sad.”
Meanwhile, Southampton’s boss Tonda Eckert walked out of his press conference when asked if his team had cheated.
The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that the staff member in question is a first-team analyst close to Eckert, who was seen filming Boro’s training on his phone.
The staff member reportedly ran away after being confronted by Middlesbrough staff and entered the nearby Rockhill Golf Course building, which is owned by Boro’s owner Steve Gibson.
Gibson has hired top sports law barrister Nick De Marco to help with the case, and it seems the club wants Southampton to face sporting penalties.
Reports say Hellberg has given his players two days off (Wednesday and Thursday) after the semi-final, with training set to resume in case Southampton are removed from the play-offs.
The EFL is still investigating, and no one has been found guilty yet.
If Southampton is found guilty, it’s unclear what kind of punishment they might get.
SPORTbible spoke with Fraser MacKinven, a partner at UK law firm Burness Paull who leads their sports and entertainment team, to get more details.
He explained that if the charge is proven, the Independent Disciplinary Commission might give Southampton a sporting sanction like a points deduction, instead of just a fine.
But even if Southampton loses points, it might not help Middlesbrough right now because the penalty could apply only next season. Southampton could also appeal the decision.
MacKinven added that if Middlesbrough feels the punishment isn’t fair, they might even take legal action against Southampton, like some clubs did with Everton in 2023 after they broke rules.
This is not legal advice.