Southampton have been thrown out of the Championship play-offs after they admitted spying on other teams’ training sessions, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
The league removed Southampton from the play-offs completely. They also gave the club a four-point deduction for next season and a formal warning.
Middlesbrough, who lost to Southampton in the semi-final, are now back in the play-offs. They will play Hull City in the final at Wembley on Saturday. The winner will go up to the Premier League.
The trouble started when a Southampton analyst was caught filming Middlesbrough’s training just two days before their semi-final match. Checks later found similar spying against Oxford United in December 2025 and Ipswich Town in April 2026.
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Southampton got their first charge on May 8. More charges came on May 17. The club admitted breaking the rules.
The EFL said in a statement:
“Southampton was first charged on Friday 8 May, with further charges issued on Sunday 17 May in relation to additional breaches during the 2025-26 season. Southampton admitted breaches of regulations requiring clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match. The admitted breaches concern fixtures against Oxford United in December 2025, Ipswich Town in April 2026 and Middlesbrough in May 2026.”
The league moved fast to keep the competition fair. This decision shows that spying on other teams will not be allowed. The points deduction will make things harder for Southampton next season.
Middlesbrough will now take part in the play-off final against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday for a place in the Premier League.
