Southampton to learn outcome of ‘spygate’ case on Wednesday

Southampton are set to learn their fate on Wednesday, with the independent commission dealing with the “spygate” case expected to deliver its verdict within 24 hours of the hearing being concluded.

The club have been charged by the EFL with breaching rule 127, which explicitly makes it an offence to observe another club’s training session 72 hours before a match between the two clubs. They are alleged to have spied on Middlesbrough’s training before their Championship play-off semi-final.

The hearing is taking place on Tuesday and if found guilty Southampton could be kicked out of the play-off final against Hull City on Saturday and replaced by Middlesbrough.

However if they are also found to have spied on other clubs during the season then the commission may issue a points deduction to apply next season, either in the Premier League if they are promoted or in the Championship.

The independent commission is expected to consider sporting sanctions rather than a fine if the evidence indicates the spying was carried out with the knowledge of senior figures at the club.

That could also mean separate disciplinary action from the FA against individuals such as Southampton’s head coach Tonda Eckert or technical director Johannes Spors, or other figures if they were involved. Southampton’s intern analyst William Salt — who was pictured allegedly filming the Middlesbrough training session before their play-off semi-final — could also face individual action.

The EFL and FA have the power to oblige clubs and their staff members to disclose emails, phone records and WhatsApp or other messages as part of its investigation.

Two years ago, Bev Priestman, the English-born head coach of the Canada women’s team and formerly Phil Neville’s assistant coach of the England women’s team, was banned from football for a year by Fifa after a spying scandal at the Paris Olympics.

Middlesbrough, who lost in the play-off semi-final, have called for Southampton to be excluded from the final against Hull. If they are not kicked out of the final, Middlesbrough will consider a civil action for compensation similar to the case in which Sheffield United won a £20million pay-out in 2009 from West Ham United over the Carlos Tevez affair.

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