Southampton are engaged in a serious spying scandal as they seek promotion to the Premier League.

The EFL has accused the Saints with allegedly photographing Middlesbrough’s pre-match training session ahead of their play-off semi-final first leg match on Teesside.

The Hampshire team will now face an independent tribunal, with the prospect of being barred from the play-offs.

That would be a big setback for Tonda Eckert and the club, relegating them to another year in the second level after reaching the final.

Southampton won the second leg thanks to a Shea Charles goal in extra time, and Boro may still be reinstated to face Hull City.

The EFL hopes that the investigation into the charge will be completed quickly, regardless of the conclusion, in order to avoid too much interruption to the final, which is scheduled for May 23.

Tonda Eckert faces huge potential penalties in the Southampton spying case.

According to The Sun, if Eckert is found to have ordered the alleged spying on Middlesbrough’s training session, he may face a one-year ban from sport.

Technical director Johannes Spor faces the same threat if there is clear evidence of involvement in the incident.

An individual was caught photographing the Teesside club’s training in the buildup to their first leg of the semi-finals last week, which is illegal by EFL rules.

The league implemented this regulation after Leeds United was found spying on Derby County ahead of their league match in February 2019, with the Whites getting a £200,000 fine as a result.

The Canadian women’s team was also implicated in a spying incident during the 2024 Olympics, which resulted in then-manager Bev Priestman being banned from football for a year due to her role in the controversy.

This establishes a clear precedent, leaving Eckert anxious about the possible ramifications if he is linked in the matter.

Middlesbrough have made it obvious that they are quite dissatisfied with the situation, with Kim Hellberg visibly unhappy in the post-match press conference following their second leg defeat at St. Mary’s, while Southampton’s actions have been lambasted by the larger footballing world.

Riley McGree had given the visitors the lead, but goals from Ross Stewart and Charles swung the game in Southampton’s favour.

However, if Southampton are eliminated from the promotion shootout, Boro might be restored in the play-off final.

Hull City awaits in the final after the Tigers defeated Millwall 2-0 in their semi-final.

Tonda Eckert could face legal consequences if there is evidence of his involvement in Southampton spying.

Eckert walked out of a press conference after the team’s win over Middlesbrough when asked if he is a cheat.

It is evident that he is dissatisfied with the situation, but if he is proven guilty of ordering the snooping, he will face severe consequences.

Being suspended from football for a year would be a dreadful punishment for his career, and he may never recover from it.

So when this hearing begins, there will be a lot at stake for both him and the organization.

However, it should be noted that no public evidence has been shown of Eckert or Spor’s involvement in this surveillance case, with officials scrambling to determine who was behind such directives.