Southampton are currently out of the play-off final versus Hull City, as Tonda Eckert’s side was thrown out by the EFL following the “Spygate” scandal involving Middlesbrough.

After an intern was discovered at Boro’s training field, Southampton were accused of spying on Middlesbrough ahead of the first leg of their play-off semi-final at The Riverside, which ended with Southampton drawing 0-0 despite countless chances for Kim Hellberg’s team.

After winning 2-1 in the second leg, Southampton appeared to have secured their place at Wembley Stadium. However, this was not the end of the story, as official restrictions on eavesdropping on football teams were implemented following the initial controversy involving Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa in 2019.

Leeds were fined £200,000 at the time, but the EFL modified its regulations in response to Bielsa, allowing it to impose greater punishments on future rulebreakers. Southampton appear to have been made an example of, but new clues are surfacing as to why.

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert claimed he didn’t aware there was a regulation prohibiting spying.

One of the main reasons is that other Championship clubs have supported Middlesbrough’s claim as well. They are not the only club that Southampton and Tonda Eckert have spied on throughout the regular season.

Since then, a schedule has emerged, and Southampton has until Friday to appeal the judgment, which typically takes 14 days for a team to go through such a procedure. Southampton have invoked their right to appeal, but it appears that Middlesbrough will be at Wembley.

One of the difficulties is that Southampton was charged after admitting to spying on Ipswich Town, Oxford United, and Middlesbrough. A trend is emerging, which explains why the EFL has been so punitive in throwing them out of the final.

The Telegraph has disclosed some more of the reasons why, with Eckert’s main defence being that, while spying is common on the continent, he had no idea he was breaking English football laws by sending personnel to film teams in training sessions.

Not only that, but Eckert is said to have been badly hurt by the incident, and he thinks he may be suspended from sport by the sport Association. He may thus lose his job at Southampton after turning the team around since November.

The EFL must hold Southampton accountable.

Now that Southampton has been legally excluded from the play-offs due to confirmed rule violations, reversing that decision on appeal just days before the final is extremely difficult. The EFL would recognize the significant reputational damage created by reversing such a severe sanction at the last minute.

It would be ridiculous to do so given the massive uproar around what many would refer to as “Spygate 2.0”. At this moment, the league’s top objective must be to ensure the competition’s integrity and legitimacy.

Reinstating Southampton after previously removing them would cause additional logistical confusion, as Boro are already selling tickets to the final. However, it would have an impact on competition by undermining any solid precedent that the EFL is now attempting to build.

If authorities actually wish to set an example of rule-breaking and restore public trust, they must remain fast on their original sanction rather than back down under pressure. It’s tough to see how Eckert and co. will turn things around.