Southampton: FA opens investigation over Spygate
Southampton admitted spying on Middlesbrough ahead of the first leg of their play-off semi-final against Oxford United and Ipswich Town at Christmas last month.
When Saints hosted Ipswich on April 28, the two teams were in direct competition to finish second and gain automatic promotion. The match ended 2-2.
Southampton no longer have the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Championship play-off final will now be played between Hull City and Middlesbrough at Wembley on Saturday (kick-off at 15:30 BST) and a place in the Premier League is on the cards.
“A league arbitration panel has rejected Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the independent disciplinary commission’s sanction following admissions of multiple breaches of EFL regulations,” the EFL said in a statement on Wednesday evening. he said.
Saints described the decision as an “extremely disappointing result”.
The statement said: “Whilst fully recognizing the seriousness of this matter and the ensuing review, the club has consistently believed that the original sporting sanction was disproportionate; a view that has been widely shared by many within the football community over the last 24 hours.”
Meanwhile, Hull are not happy that they will have to face different opponents in a short time, and the team’s owner Acun Ilıcalı suggests that the club may take legal action if they lose the final.
Ilıcalı told Sky Sports that he was unhappy with the situation but had no other option “to end this mess”.
