Was the risk really worth it? English club Southampton has been excluded from the promotion final to the Premier League that they were supposed to play on Saturday for spying on Middlesbrough’s training, the opponent they eliminated in the semi-finals.
In light of this decision made by the English league on Tuesday, Middlesbrough has been reinstated and will play the final against Hull City, scheduled for Saturday at Wembley. This match is considered to be the most lucrative in the world, given the huge sums of money paid to Premier League teams, especially in television rights.
The club admitted to spying
Southampton can, however, appeal the decision made by an independent commission on Tuesday. The appeal will be examined on Wednesday. The “spygate” scandal goes beyond the simple framework of promotion playoffs in the Premier League, according to the league’s statement.
Southampton has indeed admitted to violating the prohibition on three occasions of observing “another club’s training session within 72 hours before a scheduled match”. The club admitted to spying on Middlesbrough this month, as well as Oxford in December last year and Ipswich Town in April.
The sanction pronounced on Tuesday, due to its repeated infractions, also includes a deduction of four points for the next Championship season (2nd division). In a statement, Middlesbrough “welcomed” the sanction and their reinstatement for the final. “We believe this sends a clear message for the future of our sport in terms of sporting integrity and behavior,” as stated on their website.
