Southampton have lost their appeal to be reinstated into the 2025-26 Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final.
Tonda Eckert’s Saints were thrown out of the final yesterday (19 May) after breaching EFL Regulations 3.4 and 127 after analyst, William Salt was caught spying on Middlesbrough’s training session on 7 May – less than 72 hours before the pair played out a goalless semi-final first leg.
Southampton proceeded to admit to further cases of spying on Oxford United and Ipswich in December 2025 and April 2026 respectively, yet appealed the decision to expel them from the play-off final and four-point deduction for next season.
Their appeal however was dismissed by the EFL League Arbitration Panel who upheld the sanctions which means that Hull will face Middlesbrough on Saturday 23 May at Wembley Stadium, London, in a 3:30pm BST kick-off.
In a club statement, Southampton expressed disappointment at the decision but iterated belief that the punishments are “disproportionate,” whilst claiming that many people within the sport share their view.
“This is an extremely disappointing outcome for everybody connected with Southampton Football Club. We know how painful this moment will be for our supporters, players, staff, commercial partners and the wider community who have given so much backing to the team throughout the season and we apologise once again to everyone impacted by this.
“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.”
The club also thanked supporters for their loyalty and acknowledged that trust is broken with serious repair required to regain confidence.
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to our supporters for the support, patience and loyalty they have shown throughout an incredibly difficult period. We will share information as soon as possible in relation to ticket refunds for those who bought tickets to Wembley.
“Southampton Football Club has a proud history and strong foundations, but it is clear that trust now needs to be rebuilt. That work begins immediately. The club will reflect carefully on the events that have led to this point, learn from them and take the necessary steps to move forward responsibly.
“While tonight is a painful moment, this football club will respond with humility, accountability and determination to put things right.”
Leave a Reply