Overview
- The EFL’s independent disciplinary commission, which ruled on Tuesday May 19, excluded Southampton from the Championship promotion playoffs and reinstated Middlesbrough to face Hull City in the final.
- Southampton admitted to multiple breaches of EFL rules by observing or filming opponents’ training within 72 hours before matches, including sessions involving Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough.
- The commission also imposed a four-point deduction to be applied to Southampton’s 2026/27 Championship season and issued a formal warning on the charges.
- Reporting identified a club performance analyst, named Will Salt, as the person filmed recording a Middlesbrough training behind a tree and said messages linked the assignments to head coach Tonda Eckert.
- Southampton has appealed the decision and said it accepts breaches but considers the punishment disproportionate; the ruling removes access to a single match worth heavy financial reward and could trigger individual sanctions and tighter league enforcement going forward.