Middlesbrough demand that Southampton are expelled from Championship play-offs for spying

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a] were charged by the EFL last week after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/middlesbrough/6F0lvLNC/"]Middlesbrough[/a] caught an unauthorised man filming a session at their training ground prior to the play-off semi-final first leg.[/p][p]Middlesbrough were held to a 0-0 draw at home on Saturday before losing 2-1 after extra time in the second leg at Southampton on Tuesday.[/p][p]Southampton are due to play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull[/a], who beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/millwall/6uz2cJBL/"]Millwall[/a] in the other semi-final, in the play-off final, with a lucrative place in the Premier League on offer for the winners at Wembley.[/p][embed guid="04ec1dde-f815-4d2a-92cc-086415500711" url="https://x.com/SouthamptonFC/status/2054317337004704120?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Furious Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg branded Southampton "cheats" as the spying storm gathered momentum.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a] were fined after then manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted a member of his staff spied on a Derby training session in 2019.[/p][p]But Middlesbrough want a far sterner punishment for Southampton after revealing their request to be part of the independent commission hearing into the alleged spying had been denied.[/p][p]In response, Middlesbrough on Friday called on the EFL to kick Southampton out in the interests of fairness and to deter clubs from trying anything similar in future.[/p][p][b]"The club regrets that outcome, given we are directly affected by the matters under consideration and hold relevant factual evidence as to the events in question and their competitive impact," [/b]a statement said.[/p][p][b]"The conduct at issue, namely the observation and recording of our training session ahead of a fixture of such significance, goes to the heart of sporting integrity and fair competition.[/b][/p][p][b]"In these circumstances, the only appropriate response is a sporting sanction which would prevent Southampton FC from participating in the EFL Championship play-off final."[/b][/p][embed guid="b969ff7f-2058-46e1-a63a-b16b6be2d378" url="https://x.com/BBCMOTD/status/2055299304391369184?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The final is due to be played on May 23, but an EFL hearing may not be heard until Tuesday, placing a question mark over the scheduling.[/p][p]Given the high stakes involved, an appeal from one or more parties in the case seems almost certain.[/p][p]However, the EFL said it "continues to plan on the basis that the Championship play-off final will take place as scheduled".[/p][p]The league added that it has "a number of contingency plans should they be required".[/p]