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Middlesbrough boss Hellberg says āsomeoneā at Southampton āmade a decision to try to cheatā amid āspygateā row
TL;DR
Middlesbrough's Kim Hellberg accused someone at Southampton of attempting to cheat by spying on their training session ahead of a play-off match. The EFL has charged Southampton over the allegations, which will be reviewed by an Independent Disciplinary Commission.
Key points
- Middlesbrough's boss accused Southampton of cheating
- Allegations involve unauthorized filming of training
- Southampton charged by the EFL over the incident
- The matter will be reviewed by an Independent Disciplinary Commission
- First leg of the play-off ended in a 0-0 draw
Mentioned in this story
EFL
MiddlesbroughSouthampton
Middlesbrough boss Hellberg says āsomeoneā at Southampton āmade a decision to try to cheatā amid āspygateā row
Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg insists someone at Southampton āmade a decision to try to cheatā ahead of their play-off semi-final first leg.
The two sides drew 0-0 in the first leg at the Riverside Stadium but the game was overshadowed by allegations that someone from Southampton had spied on Middlesbroughās training session.
Southampton were charged by the EFL following āa complaint from Middlesbrough relating to alleged unauthorised filming on private propertyā, the EFL said. The matter will now be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission, with Southampton insisting they will fully comply.
āIt was a weird situation,ā Boro boss Hellberg said after the first-leg draw.
āI couldnāt believe my eyes or ears when I heard it. I couldnāt believe when they told me for the second time or the third, but then it was quite clear that they, and with they,
āIām not putting anything on the players or supporters of Southampton, I think they are brilliant and had nothing to do with it, I sometimes feel sorry for them because they get this thrown in their face, but someone made a decision to go and try to cheat, thatās clear.
āIt will be interesting to see what happens with that. I was trying to focus on the session as much as I could. Iāve seen some people talking about it not being a big advantage because you can see the games on film, but it is a massive advantage.
āItās weird to say that, to be fair. But if you took that game today, weād never used that shape that we used in the first half. That was impossible to know from whatever game you watch. Set-plays, goal kicks, itās just unfair, and I think everyone would agree with that. We will see what happens.ā
āItās different things I feel,ā he continued. āAnger, but also we have respect between each other. Thereās respect between each other that they have totally failed in. And again, with they, I am talking about those who did it, not the club or anything like that.
Q&A
What allegations were made against Southampton regarding Middlesbrough's training?
Southampton is accused of unauthorized filming of Middlesbrough's training session, leading to an EFL charge.
What did Middlesbrough's boss say about the spying incident?
Kim Hellberg claimed that someone at Southampton 'made a decision to try to cheat' by spying on their training.
What are the consequences for Southampton following the spying allegations?
The allegations will be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Commission for review after Southampton was charged by the EFL.
