SOCCER: Southampton playoff final fate, financial windfall on line as 'Spygate' hearing begins

Southampton will discover whether Tuesday'sdisciplinary hearing into allegations of spying on Middlesbrough could dash their hopes of Premier League promotion and the substantial nine-figure financial windfall that comes with it.

Dubbed 'Spygate', the case will be examined by an independent commission that will look into claims that an alleged Southampton analyst was caught secretly filming Championship playoff semi-final opponents Middlesbrough's training session from behind a tree.

Southampton were charged by the EFL earlier this month, with club CEO Phil Parsons saying they were fully cooperating while also undertaking an internal review.

The south-coast club beat Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate to reach the final against Hull City on May 23 at Wembley Stadium.

The Championship playoff final is dubbed the "richest game in football" because of the huge financial rewards on offer for promotion to England's top flight.

Last year's final winners were estimated to receive 200 million pounds ($268.24 million) in additional income, thanks mainly to the Premier League's highly lucrative television deals. The current domestic television deal is worth a record 6.7 billion pounds across four seasons.

But Southampton could find themselves denied the chance to play if found guilty of breaching English Football League (EFL) regulations that prohibit clubs from observing another club's training session within 72 hours of a match between the two sides.

According to BBC and Sky Sports reports, the alleged spy was caught recording a Middlesbrough training session from behind a tree ahead of the first leg and reportedly ran into a nearby golf club when confronted by a member of Boro staff.

Reuters has contacted Southampton for comment on the allegations.

MIDDLESBROUGH WANT SOUTHAMPTON KICKED OUT

Middlesbrough had expressed frustration after being blocked from joining the disciplinary proceedings, saying they held "relevant factual evidence" about the alleged spying incident.

The club has demanded Southampton be kicked out of the final to "protect the integrity of the game" and deter any future attempts to gain an "unfair and unlawful advantage" for promotion to the top flight.

Middlesbrough also said they would take legal action if required.

In 2019, Leeds United were fined 200,000 pounds and reprimanded for spying on Derby County.

Then-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa admitted that his staff had watched all the club's opponents in training that season after a spy was removed from Derby's training ground the day before their second-tier clash.

The EFL said they continued to plan for the final on May 23 but warned supporters that this could change based on the outcome of the disciplinary hearing.

Southampton last played in the Premier League in 2024-25 while Middlesbrough are seeking a return to the top flight for the first time since they were relegated in 2016-17.

($1 = 0.7456 pounds)

-Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters