The first leg of Middlesbrough’s play-off semi-final against Southampton lacked fireworks on the pitch, but this was more than compensated for off the field.

The EFL charged the Saints with spying during Boro’s training session on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s match at the Riverside.

The verdict specifies that clubs are not permitted to view, or attempt to monitor, another club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match, a law enacted in response to a similar event involving Leeds United and Derby County in 2019.

Finally, because the event occurred so close to a crucial play-off game, no punishment has yet been determined, resulting in a number of tense encounters on Saturday.

Kim Hellberg and Tonda Eckert exchanged what can only be characterized as a frigid handshake before and after the game, and the Southampton manager stormed out of his post-game news conference after being bombarded with questions about the incident.

Meanwhile, Hellberg was frank about his thoughts on the matter.

Kim Hellberg believes Middlesbrough’s dissatisfaction should be replicated throughout the Championship.

Following the initial spying incident in 2019, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa convened an unexpected press conference to reveal that his staff had spied on all of their opponents before being discovered by Derby.

As a result, while this is the first situation in which Southampton has been caught off guard, there is reason to suspect that this is not the only time a Saints analyst has attended opposing training sessions this season.

That is what Hellberg believes, and he appears to be concerned about his other managers’ probable unhappiness with the scenario.

When asked what type of penalty he expected Southampton to receive, he replied, “To be fair, we’ll see what happens. I can’t respond to it.”I just think it’s strange that they do that and try to cheat in this type of game,” he said.

Southampton’s greatness in 2026 may come into question because to espionage claims.

Southampton won many fans in 2026 thanks to their amazing climb up the Championship table and deep run in the FA Cup.

They finished the season with a 19-game unbeaten league run, and their only loss in 23 games across all categories came in the FA Cup semi-finals against Manchester City, a game in which they led. During that run, they also defeated Premier League leaders Arsenal and Fulham away from home.

Tonda Eckert won three consecutive second-tier Manager of the Month honors from February to April, and at 33 years old, she was regarded as one of England’s most intriguing managers.

And, while these allegations will not detract from Middlesbrough’s hard work on the field or their amazing run, they may cast a shadow over it, especially if it is discovered that they are not the only ones affected.

Granted, Southampton will continue to conduct due diligence and prepare through legal means, which will account for the majority of their strategy. Marcelo Bielsa’s aforementioned press conference featured an hour-long review of how Leeds prepared for games, regardless of spying.

However, in this play-off position, where teams may spring a few surprises and keep their cards close to their chests — Boro were particularly unsure whether Hayden Hackney was healthy enough to play a role — it can provide an unfair edge.

Time will tell what penalty Southampton will face if proven guilty, but for now, all eyes are on Tuesday night’s second leg and who will go to the play-off final at Wembley.