Southampton are prepared for another season of Championship football after being eliminated from the play-offs.

The Saints had earned their chance to return to the Premier League with a fourth-place finish in the table and a semi-final triumph over Middlesbrough earlier this month.

However, an independent committee has knocked the club out of the league for violating the EFL’s regulations regarding spying on opposing teams.

The Hampshire club admits to photographing opponents in the run-up to meetings, including Boro before their first leg match at the Riverside.

Tonda Eckert’s future is uncertain, as the Football Association has launched an investigation against those implicated in the affair.

According to reports, the players are mulling legal action against Southampton after missing out on a place in the top division.

Southampton has cautioned about players quitting contracts this summer.

Geoff Cunningham, the former head of legal at the EFL, has warned Southampton that following the eavesdropping controversy, players may seek to break their contracts.

He feels that breaking league rules without the players’ knowledge might be considered bad faith and a violation of contract, putting the Saints at risk of losing important players this summer.According to Cunningham, the club violated the league’s regulations, affecting the players’

ability to earn their full contract remuneration. This constitutes a breach of contract.One thing I believe Southampton should be very aware about, protect against, and defend against, is any notion that that potential breach of contract is serious enough to allow that player to terminate his contract, allowing them to disappear into the summer window.”

It remains to be seen what the consequences will be from Southampton’s elimination from the play-offs, with Middlesbrough now taking their position in the final against Hull.

Boro and the Tigers have not competed in the Premier League since 2017, while the Saints were looking for an instant return after finishing 20th last season.

Failure to secure promotion is expected to pique the interest of a number of key players in the summer transfer window, with Leo Scienza and Shea Charles among those who could leave.

However, the possibility of losing players due to contract termination might be disastrous for the club, especially since it will be much more difficult to replace them without transfer fees arriving.

Sheffield Wednesday had a number of players leave last summer due to contract termination, albeit in various circumstances, creating the precedent that it can happen.

Southampton will want to challenge for promotion from the Championship next year, but they have an uphill task after being fined four points as part of their penalty for the spying incident.

Southampton could suffer significantly as the fallout from the spying scandal unfolds.

If the Southampton players threaten legal action, and certain contracts are terminated, the club may face a long road to recovery from this crisis.

Eckert’s future as manager is uncertain, but he had established himself as a promising young coach who had turned things around at St. Mary’s.

The cost of missing out on promotion is already estimated to be approximately £200 million, and reputational damage might cost the club even more in sponsorship.

Losing players for nothing could be disastrous, and the Saints will now work extra hard to alleviate the tension created with the first-team squad as a result of their play-off ouster.