Middlesbrough will participate in the play-off final as a result of Southampton’s elimination from the competition.

Boro accused the Saints of spying on their pre-match training session ahead of the first leg of their semi-final showdown.

However, Tonda Eckert’s side won 2-1 on aggregate when the teams met on the pitch.

However, the EFL accused the club with violating their anti-spying rules, resulting in their exclusion from the play-offs, and their appeal was rejected.

Southampton has also received a four-point deduction after admitting to spying on Boro, Ipswich Town, and Oxford United earlier this season.

Kim Hellberg’s side is one win away from returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

Why Southampton’s appeal would never be successful.

When asked if he was shocked that Southampton’s appeal against their play-off expulsion was unsuccessful, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan analyst Liam Day said it was always doubtful they would be restored in the final.

He believes that the Saints deserved to be kicked out of the competition for spying, and that once the decision was taken to eject them, an appeal was never likely to succeed, despite claims of the club’s confidence in that outcome.

“I was never surprised it wasn’t overturned; I believed it was the right decision,” Day told Football League World.

“I thought the appeal was a little desperate; they stated they were confident, but were they really truly confident? I don’t really know.

“I don’t think so, myself.

“I assumed the best-case situation would be that the points deduction was excessive, but that wasn’t the case.

“They received the full punishment, and I wasn’t shocked that it wasn’t overturned.

“I believe that once the EFL has made a major decision, it would be extremely dumb for them to reverse it right away.

“So, I’m very glad they stuck to their guns.”

Day has suggested that placing Middlesbrough back in the final was a wise decision, rather than Hull City gaining promotion by default.

“I believe they made the correct decision,” he continued.

“And when you look into the bigger picture, they’ve clearly been spying on the entire season, and the play-offs are a different entity than the Championship.

“They have been eliminated from a knockout competition.

“We were correct to replace them, and no matter what anyone else says, I will stand by it.

“So, yeah, right decision and I’m glad they stuck to it.”

Middlesbrough ranked in the top two of the Championship table for much of the regular season, but a bad run of form saw them drop to fifth in the final weeks.

Under Rob Edwards, the club had a solid start to the season before he left in November to take over at Wolves, prompting Hellberg to replace him.

The Swede will be looking to restore his team’s form just in time for Saturday’s game against Hull.

Boro and the Tigers have not competed in the Premier League since they were both relegated in 2017.

The Teesside club made the play-offs in 2023 but fell to Coventry City in the semi-finals, so they now have the opportunity to advance one step higher.

However, Sergej Jakirovic’s team defeated Millwall 2-0 in the semi-finals and will face a stiff challenge at Wembley on Saturday.

The two sides will clash in the capital at 3.30 p.m., with the victor advancing to the top division.

Southampton’s appeal was unsuccessful. Although they received harsh penalties, they accepted the risk of breaking the regulations.

Expulsion from the play-offs was a possibility, but many were surprised when it actually happened.

But once the decision was made, it seemed unlikely that they would be reinstated on appeal, notwithstanding the club’s belief in the verdict.

The Saints have suffered a big reputational knock as a result of this scandal, but Middlesbrough have been given a tremendous opportunity for promotion, and it is now up to the players to seize it on Saturday against Hull.