FA Open Southampton Investigation Over Spygate
The Football Association is looking into Southampton’s actions after the club admitted to spying on three other Championship clubs last season.
After confessing to watching opponents’ training sessions within 72 hours of a game, Southampton was eliminated from the Championship play-offs. Middlesbrough was allowed to play Hull City in the final on Saturday.
Additionally, Saints will lose four points in the Championship the following season.
On Wednesday night, Southampton’s appeal against the penalty on the grounds that it was “disproportionate” was rejected.
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The FA, which oversees football in England, said it “won’t comment further until we have assessed the evidence” in a statement.
The FA will investigate who took part in the spying and evaluate the responsibility of those who either knew or encouraged it.
Only its member clubs are subject to action by the English Football League, which filed the allegations against Southampton.
The FA is currently investigating the issue, so those implicated may be charged and possibly banned.
Canada’s women’s team was convicted of spying on New Zealand during the 2024 Olympics.
Three employees, including head coach Bev Priestman, were barred from football for a year by the international governing organization FIFA.
Southampton admitted spying on Middlesbrough before the first leg of the play-off semi-final, along with Oxford United at Christmas and Ipswich Town last month.
When Saints hosted Ipswich on 28 April the two teams were in direct competition vying to finish second and earn automatic promotion. The game ended 2-2.
Southampton have no further right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Championship play-off final will now go ahead at Wembley on Saturday between Hull City and Middlesbrough (15:30 BST kick-off), with a place in the Premier League on the line.
With at least £200 million in television money plus parachute payouts, the match is regarded as the most profitable football match in the world.
Following the admission of several violations of EFL rules, Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the independent disciplinary commission’s sentence was rejected by a league arbitration panel, the EFL announced on Wednesday night.
The decision was deemed “an extremely disappointing outcome” by Saints.
It further stated: “While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football community over the last 24 hours.”
Hull, meanwhile, are unhappy they will have to face different opponents at short notice, with owner Acun Ilicali suggesting the club could take legal action if they lose the final.
Ilicali told Sky Sports he was not happy with the situation, but there was no other option “in order to finish this mess”.
