Southampton thrown out of EFL Championship play-off final amid spying scandal

Southampton have been thrown out of this Saturday's English Football League (EFL) Championship play-off final following a spying controversy involving opposition teams during the run-up to the match.

Southampton thrown out of EFL Championship play-off final amid spying scandal. Southampton have been thrown out of this Saturday's English Football League (EFL) Championship play-off final following a spying controversy involving opposition teams during the run-up to the match. The fallout centres on claims that Southampton sent a scout to observe several opponents, including teams they faced during the play-off campaign. According to a statement by the EFL, "Southampton admitted breaches of regulations requiring clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match. The admitted breaches concern fixtures against Oxford United in December 2025, Ipswich Town in April 2026 and Middlesbrough in May 2026." The final itself, described as the most lucrativ...