Middlesbrough have ‘new evidence’ against Southampton in the SpyGate scandal with claims other clubs were also spied on by the Saints during the season
Middlesbrough are said to have fresh evidence that Southampton allegedly spied on two other clubs throughout the season, adding another layer to the ongoing ‘SpyGate’ controversy.
Boro suffered a loss in their play-off semi-final against the Saints, but the match was overshadowed by allegations of spying. Southampton have been slapped with an EFL misconduct charge after Middlesbrough reportedly caught a member of the club’s analysis team spying on their training ahead of the first leg last week. This has sparked demands for Southampton to be expelled from the play-offs.
The Sun reports that Middlesbrough possess CCTV footage of the alleged spy from last week, and also hold evidence from two other Championship sides who suspect they were spied on during the regular season.
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Uncertainty surrounding the outcome means that Middlesbrough will continue training this week, gearing up for a potential play-off final against Hull City. The match is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on May 23.
Under normal circumstances, teams would embark on their summer break following a play-off defeat. However, manager Kim Hellberg has clarified that a plan is in place for the squad to return to duty.
The EFL implemented a new rule in 2019 prohibiting any opposition member from attending a team’s training session within 72 hours of a match. This followed an initial dispute between Leeds United and Derby County, which resulted in then-Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa being fined.
After the 2-1 extra-time loss to the Saints at St Mary’s, Hellberg delivered a heartfelt response during his post-match press conference. “What I could control was the tactical aspect of the game or helping my players more,” he said.
“When you have done that and, for a week or two weeks up to this game, put every second away from your family to watch Southampton every game you can to try to gain the advantage that we can actually get.
“If we wouldn’t have caught that man they sent up on a five-hour drive, you would sit there and say, well done, maybe, in the tactical aspect of the game and I would go home and feel like I had failed in that aspect I had to help my players with.
“When that is taken away from you in that way, when someone decides: ‘No, we’re not going to watch every game. We’ll send someone instead and film the session and see everything and hope we don’t get caught’. I guess that was why they were switching clothes and all those things.
“It breaks my heart in terms of all those things I believe in. That’s the thing. I don’t care if there are other rules in different countries. This is England where football is the biggest thing. That’s my feelings about it. I think it’s disgraceful. It makes me very sad.”
Meanwhile Southampton boss Tonda Eckert stormed out of a press conference for the second time. When questioned “are you a cheat?” he remained silent, before the Southampton press officer declared: “show some respect,” and the pair departed.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Southampton CEO Phil Parsons said: “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.
“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.”