Southampton manager Tonda Eckert and technical director Johannes Spors could face suspensions if they are found to have sanctioned the alleged “SpyGate” incident that has engulfed the club.
The Saints secured their place at Wembley this week with a play-off semi-final win over Middlesbrough, sealed by Shea Charles’ late extra-time goal. However, the victory has been overshadowed by claims of spying ahead of the first leg at the Riverside Stadium.
The EFL has charged Southampton with misconduct after Middlesbrough allegedly caught a member of their analysis team observing a training session at the Rockliffe facility. The situation has raised uncertainty over whether the south coast side will be allowed to face Hull for a place in the Premier League. A hearing—yet to be scheduled—will be overseen by an independent disciplinary panel, with potential sanctions including match bans for Eckert or Spors, according to reports.
The individual at the centre of the allegations is said to be intern William Salt, who was reportedly photographed hiding behind a tree and using his phone to film Middlesbrough’s training before being confronted.
Salt had previously been pictured celebrating alongside Eckert after the manager’s Championship Manager of the Month award in February, but has not appeared in more recent club images. Middlesbrough are preparing their case and are believed to have evidence linking a credit card used by the individual at a nearby golf club—part of chairman Steve Gibson’s Rockliffe complex—which could help establish a paper trail. Gibson has enlisted leading sports lawyer Nick De Marco, with the club pushing for the EFL to begin proceedings before the weekend to provide clarity on the situation.
In an embarrassing climb down Southampton have been forced to delete all ticketing updates, which they wrongly posted on Wednesday night as they shared information for the final. The club say the confusion over tickets was due to the fact they were meant to publish details at the same time as fellow finalists Hull.
