In one of the most bizarre stories in modern football history, Southampton have been thrown out of the Championship playoffs after admitting to spying on opposition training sessions.
'Spygate' as it has been coined, came to the fore ahead of the first leg of the Championship playoff semifinal against Middlesbrough after an individual, allegedly a Southampton staff member, was spotted filming the team from a vantage point close to nearby golf club. Middlesbrough subsequently reported the incident to the EFL.
The situation has placed Southampton boss Tonda Eckert in hot water and brought back memories of Marcelo Bielsa admitting to doing similar in 2019 when managing Leeds against Derby County. Leeds were fined £200,000 for that incident, which Bielsa paid out of his own pocket. The rules then changed after Bielsa's original 'Spygate', meaning that Southampton have now been found to have broken an official EFL rule.
With the fallout to this year's incident still raging, Southampton went on to progress past Boro in the semifinal after extra time in the second leg but the story was far from done. Middlesbrough were incensed by what had gone on and continued training while the the EFL's investigation was conducted.
Then, in a bombshell announcement on May 19, it was confirmed that Southampton were expelled from the playoffs, subject to appeal, after admitting to also watching opposition training sessions in the lead up to matches against Oxford United and Ipswich Town this season.
The strange thing, though, is that Southampton -- Saints no longer it seems -- failed to win any of those matches...
- Spygate explainer: Why Southampton were booted from Championship playoff
Oxford United 2-1 Southampton (Dec. 26, 2025)
Southampton, who were yet to go on their impressive run of form that saw them rise up the table, sat in 12th in the Championship when they met Oxford United, who were 23rd at Christmas.
It now transpires that Southampton spied on Oxford in the build-up to this Boxing Day clash, not that it was obvious on the day.
Having just sacked Gary Rowett, Oxford delivered a massive win in their ultimately doomed bid to avoid relegation, after Tyler Goodrham's wonderful half-volley and Stan Mills' 89th minute winner.
In the end, Oxford were relegated to League One, finishing 22nd as Southampton wound up fourth.
Southampton 2-2 Ipswich (April 28, 2026)
In the penultimate match of the regular season, Southampton faced Ipswich in a match that had major ramifications on the overall promotion picture.
Ipswich were second and a win would have seen them secure automatic promotion, while a win for Southampton would have put them in a four-horse race for the automatic spots alongside Millwall and Middlesbrough on the final day.
Wes Burns scored first for Ipswich in the 48th minute, but Southampton looked to have won it after Ryan Manning and Cyle Larin scored for Southampton, only for Jack Clarke to score an 87th-minute equaliser.
That goal meant Southampton were left to the playoffs, while Ipswich just needed to beat QPR at home on the final day to secure second and a place in the Premier League, which they did with aplomb, winning 3-0.
Middlesbrough 0-0 Southampton (May 9, 2026)
The game where 'Spygate' really came to boil was the playoff semifinal itself.
The infamous image of a Southampton employee was taken by the Middlesbrough photographer and circulated among the media.
Boro then went to the EFL and the investigation began ahead of the first leg of the semifinal.
Championship playoff semifinals do not need any extra spice -- they are already extremely nervy affairs, with the playoff final dubbed the 'richest game in football' due to the riches the Premier League can offer.
It was a typical tense playoff tie with neither side able to break the deadlock -- Southampton did not even register a shot on target.
However, they went on to win the second leg 2-1 after extra time with Riley McGree's early goal for Boro cancelled out by Ross Stewart, before Shea Charles scored in the 115th minute.
It appeared Saints would face Hull in the playoff final but with the bombshell ruling, it is set to be Boro who face Sergej Jakirovic's side on May 23.
