Middlesbrough: Kim Hellberg says ‘disgraceful’ ‘Spygate’ story ‘breaks my heart’ after Boro’s thrashing by Southampton | Football news

Kim Hellberg has said the ‘Spygate’ story which surrounded his Middlesbrough side’s Championship semi-final defeat to Southampton was “disgraceful” and “breaks my heart”.

It is alleged that a member of the Southampton staff was caught trying to watch Middlesbrough training last Thursday.

After a goalless draw in the first leg on Saturday, Shea Charles’ 116th-minute winner earned Saints a 2-1 win and a place in the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday 23 May.

“I have worked for 15 years as a coach, trying to reach the Premier League. That is my dream for 15 years,” he said in a press conference after the match.

“I know that there are clubs that have big resources or are paid with parachutes that can spend a lot of money, there are teams that have bigger teams than us, that have a lot of money.

“What you have as a coach and a team is the tactical aspect of the game where we can beat the opponent and I think that’s what everyone loves about the game. That’s why I look at England and I think it’s the home of football, where I want to be, what I dream about. You take a lot of pride in your football and I think that’s very amazing, that’s why I wanted to be here.

“When you have a lot of money and all those things, you try to find a way to make a profit, that’s how I try to go with my team. That’s what you always try to do, because we can be better in that aspect.

“Alex Neil said something very good after the (Millwall) game. He said ‘I think I let the people down as we haven’t won’. In that way, he said he let the people down. That’s the feeling the coach goes home with because he thinks, what I could have controlled was an aspect of the game or helping my players more.

“If you’ve done that again, a week or two weeks until this game, put every second away from your family to watch Southampton every game you can to try to get a chance that we can get, if we didn’t catch that man they sent in a car for five hours, you would sit there and say, well done, maybe, in the tactical aspect of the game and I feel that I failed to go home with my players.

“When that is taken away from you in that way, when someone decides: ‘No, we will not watch all the games. We will send someone instead and film the session and see everything and hope we don’t get caught’. I think that’s why they were changing clothes and all that stuff.

“It breaks my heart about all those things that I believe in. That’s the thing.

“I don’t care if there are other rules in different countries, it is in England where football is the best.

“That’s my feeling about it. I think it’s disgraceful. It makes me very sad.”

Asked if he believed Tonda Eckert knew about the alleged ‘espionage’, Hellberg said, “I can’t answer that. No comment.”

Eckert is out again

Meanwhile, Southampton coach Tonda Eckert pulled out of Saturday’s press conference after the ‘Spygate’ press.

And he came out again on Tuesday night when the second question of the press conference was: “Are you a fraud?”

The press officer who was accompanying him immediately shut it down and told the journalist in question to “show respect”.

What happens next?

A disciplinary hearing before the final was recommended by the EFL given the “nature of the matter” and anything could still happen despite Tuesday night’s result.

A statement issued by Southampton’s chief executive on Tuesday asked for time to carry out an internal review, but the decision to hear the case will be made by the Independent Disciplinary Commission.

Although the ‘check’ happened earlier in 2019, there were no clear rules against it at the time and Leeds were punished by the ‘good faith’ rule. That rule still exists and now there is rule 127 which prohibits spying within 72 hours of a game.

Thus, it is the first time that this law is really tested, and all kinds of punishment are received by the Independent Disciplinary Commission.

It’s fair to say that Boro believe Southampton have clearly “cheated” and the club are seeking the toughest possible – and sporting – punishment. Boro’s view is that the penalty will serve little purpose.

Southampton are asking the EFL for more time for an internal review

Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Southampton have asked for time to carry out an internal review into the circumstances surrounding the ‘spygate’ scandal.

The club was charged on Friday by the EFL, which asked the independent disciplinary commission to shorten the response time from the usual 14 days and list the hearings “as soon as possible”.

Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons told the club’s website: “The club is co-operating fully with the EFL and the disciplinary commission, and is also conducting an internal review to ensure all the facts and context are understood.”

“Due to the intensity of the schedule and the short transition between the matches, we asked for time to complete the schedule properly and responsibly.

“We understand the discussion and speculation that has followed in recent days, but we also believe it is important to establish full context before any conclusions are drawn.”