England: Southampton expelled from Premier League promotion play-offs for spying

Southampton FC, 4^th in the 2025-26 Sky Bet Championship regular season and qualified for the Premier League promotion play-off final after defeating Middlesbrough FC in the semi-finals (1-0 on aggregate), has been expelled from the play-offs by an independent disciplinary commission, the English Football League announced on 19 May 2026.

The expulsion was imposed "after the club admitted to multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training."

On 08 May, Middlesbrough accused its opponent of observing and recording a training session ahead of the tie between the two clubs, before further allegations were made by other clubs on 17 May "in relation to additional breaches during the 2025-26 season."

Southampton admitted breaching regulations prohibiting the observation of opponents’ training sessions in relation to matches against Middlesbrough in May 2026, as well as against Oxford United FC in December 2025 and Ipswich Town FC in April 2026.

Middlesbrough has therefore been reinstated and will face Hull City AFC in the final scheduled at…