'Are you a cheat?' Southampton press conference drama as Middlesbrough suffer same West Brom fate

Southampton saw off Middlesbrough in extra time at St Mary’s on Tuesday night to book their play-off final ticket at Wembley - but off-field controversy rumbles on.

The ‘spygate’ scandal will not go away as an investigation into allegations of a Southampton employee spying on Middlesbrough’s training ground continues.

Tonda Eckert’s Saints clinched a dramatic 2-1 home victory to seal progression in their semi-final with a showpiece against Hull the reward after the Tigers saw off Millwall.

But the English Football League have charged the Saints with spying on Boro training at the latter’s Rockliffe Park base last Thursday, with the outcome to be decided by an independent disciplinary panel.

There have been reports the Saints could face a hefty fine or, more seriously, a sporting sanction including a points deduction next season or potentially losing their place in the play-offs.

The drama has undoubtedly overshadowed the play-off tie and it continued into last night’s post-match press conference at St Mary’s, where Saints boss Eckert continued a no comment approach.

The press conference was concluded with German Eckert being asked if he was a “cheat” before he departed - as the home press officer called to “show some respect”.

“It’s the same for me as the last game, it is not easy for me to comment as there is nothing I can say at the moment because it’s an ongoing investigation,” Eckert said.

“We’re taking the matter very seriously and I will say something, I just can’t say it now.

“It’s an ongoing investigation and nothing I say now is going to make an impact on that. It is not easy for me - I will say something just not now.

“This matter is overshadowing two games that are an advert for the Championship.”

When asked “are you a cheat?” Eckert and his club’s press officer left the room with the latter saying “show some respect”.

Southampton have asked for more time on an internal review following reports the individual concerned, reportedly a performance analyst, was found by Boro staff watching and recording training less than 72 hours before a fixture. The EFL charge came as breach of a rule introduced on the back of a case involving Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa against Derby in 2019.

Boro boss Kim Hellberg cut an emotional figure after his side were seen off in extra time.

Days before the second leg he used the term “cheat” when referring to the situation. He said: “Someone made a decision to go and try to cheat, that’s clear.”

Hellberg added on Tuesday night: “If we wouldn’t have caught that man they send up five hours to drive you will sit and say well done (to Southampton) on the tactical aspect of the game.

“And I would go home and feel like I had failed in that aspect.

“When that is taken away from you when someone decides we’re not going to watch every game and send someone instead to film the session, and see everything and hope they don’t get caught ... it breaks my heart in terms of all those things I believe in.”

Middlesbrough endured the same play-off disappointment as Albion at St Mary’s two years ago at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Southampton were 3-1 second-leg winners after a goalless first leg at The Hawthorns, with future loanee Adam Armstrong twice on target for the hosts.

Baggies boss Carlos Corberan also cut a frustrated figure in the Southampton press conference afterwards, where he revealed frustration at how Albion’s team bus was delayed amid traffic chaos and poor organisation ahead of kick-off.

Corberan said: "I think the way we came to the stadium today was not the right way.

"We were waiting in the bus for 15 minutes to find the entrance to the pitch, I don't know why nobody could coordinate and help us follow normal protocol.

"I didn't expect this. I think it shouldn't have happened. We arrived 95 minutes before the game but in the end we could only go in the dressing room 80 to 75 minutes before the game.”

Corberan was also unhappy at Saints for re-sizing the St Mary’s pitch to limit Darnell Furlong’s long throw-in, but stopped short of using either factors as excuse for the defeat.