As if the stakes couldn’t get any higher ahead of a crunch play-off semi-final meeting, Middlesbrough have caught a Southampton analyst spying on their training session.
It’s the first time an accusation has been made since a well-documented 2019 incident between Leeds United and Derby County, and if found guilty, Saints could be in severe trouble.
Middlesbrough catch Southampton analyst
Middlesbrough have allegedly caught what is thought to be a Southampton first-team analyst recording their training session from a bush today, according to The Daily Mail Sport’s Craig Hope.
This report has since been backed up by Dominic Shaw, writer at the Northern Echo, who covers Middlesbrough Football Club.
The individual was spotted and approached by Middlesbrough club staff on Thursday morning, and it is claimed the male deleted videos and pictures.
The Daily Mail claims the alleged “spy” spotted near Middlesbrough’s training ground has been identified via public profile pages as a current Southampton employee.
According to The Southern Daily Echo’s Alfie House on X, ‘The EFL are aware of the story regarding an allegation of spying at the Middlesbrough training ground but are establishing the facts before commenting. No comment from either club made at this time.’
It’s a story set to put even more of a spotlight on this game, which was already shaping up to be tasty, but Southampton could be in trouble if this accusation is true.
Spygate 2.0
After the 'spygate' drama with Leeds in 2019, a new rule was introduced prohibiting teams from viewing opposition training in the 72 hours prior to a match unless invited to do so.
As a result of the 2019 incident, Leeds United were fined a total of £200k, but the punishment for Southampton could be more severe following the new rules that have since been introduced.
It’s an extremely risky move from Southampton to put their reputation on the line, if found true by the EFL, who are establishing facts before commenting.
It’s becoming abundantly clear - one hell of a play-off game is set to ensue, and this incident will have only psyched up the Middlesbrough players to pull off a victory over both legs.
As if the drama surrounding Southampton and former-Boro attacking midfielder Finn Azaz wasn’t enough, the game is now a matchup of wrong versus right.
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