Southampton players might take steps against their own club after being kicked out of the play-offs.
Things don’t look good for Southampton, as their players are now thinking about taking legal action after the club was kicked out of the Championship play-offs because of the spygate scandal.
On Tuesday evening, it was revealed that Southampton had been removed from Saturday’s big final against Hull City at Wembley. This came after a staff member was caught spying on Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final first leg. After the EFL investigated, an independent commission decided to put Middlesbrough back in the final and gave Southampton a four-point penalty for next season.
Southampton admitted they broke rules in games against Oxford United, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough, and they’ve appealed the punishments. The final decision is expected on Wednesday, just in time to get ready for the final.
Now, The Athletic reports that Southampton’s players are upset and exploring their options if the punishment sticks. They say the players only got a small amount of info about the scandal and were angry to hear the news at the same time as everyone else, without any warning. Some players even had a deal that if the team earned promotion straight back to the Premier League, their 40% pay cuts would be lifted.
The players are set to meet the club on Wednesday and have asked the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) for advice, worried about losing money.
Plus, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook says manager Tonda Eckert might lose his job because of the scandal. The full report could show how involved Eckert was, especially since a club analyst watched Middlesbrough’s training before their 0-0 semi-final game. Eckert and sporting director Johannes Spors might be investigated and possibly suspended by the FA, since spying is more accepted in Germany, where Eckert is from. His future at the club is uncertain, especially with worries about sponsorships after admitting to cheating.
According to talkSPORT, an email from CEO Phil Parsons told staff that the club’s legal team is still confident about winning the appeal and is fighting hard against the penalties. Southampton is preparing for the final as usual, but so is Middlesbrough, who said they “welcome” the decision and hope this sends a clear message about fairness and integrity in the sport.