Southampton defeated Middlesbrough in a tough two-legged match to advance to the Championship play-off final, but there are still many loose ends to be tied up.

Off-field problems clouded the 210 minutes of play, as Southampton were accused with an alleged spying incident prior to the first leg at the Riverside last Saturday.

The Saints have not denied the claims, but they did want more time yesterday to complete an internal assessment before the EFL’s independent disciplinary body conducts their own investigation to impose any sort of penalty.

With Shea Charles’ cross-court shot separating the two sides in extra time after Ross Stewart cancelled out Riley McGree’s opener in the first half, it remains to be seen whether Southampton will be allowed to play in the final on May 23, with some speculating that elimination from the play-offs would be an appropriate punishment.

Nonetheless, even if Middlesbrough is reinstated into the play-offs in the coming days, they will feel robbed of the opportunity to do so the correct way, and Boro manager Kim Hellberg was understandably distraught in his post-match press conference.

Kim Hellberg is distraught in the aftermath of Spygate 2.0

Hellberg spoke to Sky Sports soon after the game and congratulated the Southampton players and fans, but not their staff. In a similar vein, he would address the external media during his news conference.

According to the Northern Echo, the coach expressed his emotional response to recent events, stating that they “broke his heart.”I spent 15 years as a coach trying to get to the Premier League. “That’s my dream,” he explained. “That has been my dream for 15 years.

When accepting the Middlesbrough position, I am aware that other clubs may have more resources or parachute payments, leading to more spending power.To be fair, some teams have larger rosters and more money to spend. “What you have as a coach and group is the tactical element of the game,

which allows us to beat the opponent.”And I believe that’s what everyone enjoys about the game. That is why I consider England to be the home of football. When competing with teams with more money and a larger squad, you strive to find a way to use tactical elements to gain an advantage.

“That’s what you always aim to accomplish because we can improve in that aspect. When that is taken away from you, I believe it is no longer fair.

Hellberg echoed what Millwall manager Alex Neil said after their play-off semi-final defeat to Hull City on Monday night, stating that he feels he let people down when his team loses.

The Swedish manager feels that he works relentlessly to gain that tactical advantage, devoting more time away from his family to aid his squad and give the supporters something to cheer for. However, he believes Southampton employed unscrupulous measures to get an advantage.

I believe Alex Neil said something extremely fantastic after the Millwall game. He admitted, “I think I let people down after the game when we didn’t win,” which is a common emotion for coaches who believe they can only manage the tactical side of the game.When you’ve done that for a week or two leading up to this game,

devote every second away from your family to watching Southampton every game, so you can acquire the benefit that we can. “When you say to your family, ‘No, I’m not coming home, I’m going to see more games of them.'”If we hadn’t captured the man they sent up five hours ago, you’d be sitting here saying, “Well done on the tactical side of the game.” “And I would go home and feel like I had failed to help my players in that aspect.

“When someone decides not to watch every game and instead sends someone to video the session and hope they don’t get caught, it rips my heart and undermines everything I believe in.I don’t care whether the rules are different in other countries. This is England.

I believe that football is the most important factor here. That is how I feel about it. That, I believe, is disrespectful to a colleague with whom you work. It makes me quite sad.”

Southampton await the EFL’s judgment following the espionage charge.

Given how close the charges were to a critical game at the conclusion of the season, and the fact that it’s a clear violation of the rules this time, there’s a level of earnestness surrounding Southampton’s alleged spying that compares to when Leeds United exposed this approach in 2019.

However, it may be argued that removing Southampton from the play-offs totally would be a punishment for the fanbase and the players who have fought hard both on and off the pitch to get to Wembley, regardless of what the coaching staff are doing.

So, what will be the eventual punishment? The Canadian women’s football team was deducted six points in their Olympic group, and its coach was suspended for a year, for using a drone to spy on opposition training.

That is the only other instance of a punishment being imposed, although those were FIFA sanctions rather than EFL penalties. A points punishment may be adequate, but if Southampton is promoted, the EFL cannot impose that sanction on a Premier League club; instead, it can simply advise the top-flight board to do so.

In any case, the problem is far from over, and it will be interesting to watch which path the EFL takes when reaching a decision.