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Spygate 2.0? Explaining Middlesborough vs. Southampton incident, what next, rule-change since Marcelo Bielsa

We have reached the stage of the season in the Championship where the margins are extremely thin and the potential prize is the greatest of all -- that is of course the playoffs and promotion to the Premier League.

Millwall, who finished third in the Championship table, will face sixth-placed Hull on Friday night, while Southampton (fourth) take on Middlesborough (fifth) on Saturday.

But before the action has begun on the field itself, we have already got plenty of drama off it.

Spygate 2.0, what happened?

Middlesborough filed a complaint to the English Football League, alleging that "an individual identified to be associated" with Southampton has been caught filming training sessions.

The EFL subsequently charged Southampton with a breach of regulations.

"Southampton Football Club has today been charged with a breach of EFL Regulations, and the matter will be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission," they said in a statement.

"Under EFL Regulations, Southampton would ordinarily have 14 days to respond to the charges," they added.

"However, given the nature of the matter, the EFL will ask the Independent Disciplinary Commission to shorten the response period and to list a hearing at the earliest opportunity.

Both clubs have declined to comment.

Didn't Spygate happen before?

You may be thinking that you have heard of this story before.

And you would be right...

In 2019, ahead of the playoff semifinal between Frank Lampard's Derby County and Leeds United managed by Marcelo Bielsa, the Argentinian was accused of sending a "spy" to watch the Rams train.

Following Leeds' 2-0 win at Elland Road, the EFL launched an official investigation, Frank Lampard called the situation "unethical" and Leeds fans began chanting "Stop crying Frank Lampard" to the Oasis tune "Stop Crying Your Heart Out."

Incredibly Bielsa then decided to openly admit to sending a spy and in a 70-minute press conference, detailing that he had all the training sessions of all the opponents watched.

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Leeds were fined £200,000 by the EFL after they found that the club's conduct "fell significantly short of the standards expected by the EFL and must not be repeated."

Leeds apologised to Derby, reminded Bielsa of their "integrity and honesty" principles and released a statement saying "we apologise for acting in a way that has been judged culturally unacceptable in the English game."

Bielsa then decided to pay the £200,000 fine out of his own pocket in another bizarre twist.

What was the rule-change after Bielsa's Spygate Saga?

But the most notable thing that came out of "Spygate" was the new EFL regulation.

Clubs were officially prohibited from viewing opposition training in the 72-hour period immediately before a fixture.

And that brings us to the current day and Spygate 2.0 -- seven years on from Bielsa.

But there is a difference between then and now, and a pretty clear one.

Bielsa and Leeds were fined for falling short of standards expected by the EFL, they had not broken any official rulings at the time.

Southampton, however, have been found guilty of doing so.

"The charges relate to the following Regulations: EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith; and EFL Regulation 127, which prohibits any club from observing, or attempting to observe, another club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two clubs," the EFL said in a statement.

That gives the EFL's Disciplinary Commission the power to hand out punishments ranging from fines to points deductions with removal from a competition the absolute extreme.

Championship playoffs don't need much more tension but this one just got a whole lot more -- get the popcorn ready because this one should be feisty.

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