Spygate playoff row deepens as Boro's Hellberg labels Southampton cheats'

"Southampton's manager, Tonda Eckert, walked out of the post-match press conference at Middlesbrough on Saturday after repeatedly refusing to answer questions about allegations that one of his analysts had spied on Kim Hellberg's training session last Thursday. Shortly afterwards Hellberg said his Middlesbrough team were victims of cheating in the lead-up to this vital Championship playoff semi-final first leg. A clearly uncomfortable, distinctly unhappy looking Eckert is now preparing for not merely Tuesday's second leg against Hellberg's Middlesbrough but an English Football League disciplinary commission."

"In the face of a barrage of questioning about what has become known as spygate, Southampton's manager kept reiterating. I think the club has made a statement yesterday evening and that's all there is to say at the moment. Pressed repeatedly on reports that the analyst had acted unilaterally he maintained a largely awkward silence, merely saying: I think I've said more than enough. Asked if he had talked about the incident to his players, the 33-year-old said: No, there was nothing to say, there was a big job at hand."

"Some people saying it [watching an opponents's pre-match training session] doesn't give you a big advantage. That's wrong; it's a massive advantage. Without it [spying] it would have been impossible for them to know our shape in the first half. We have never used that shape before today. It's just unfair. It's not OK. There was anger. There's a loss of respect. It makes me disappointed. It was a big game and they saw everything we were doing set pieces"

Southampton’s manager Tonda Eckert left a post-match press conference after repeatedly refusing to answer questions about allegations that a Southampton analyst spied on Kim Hellberg’s training session. The incident led to an EFL charge for misconduct issued less than 24 hours before a 0-0 first-leg draw dominated by Middlesbrough. Eckert avoided details, saying the club had already made a statement and that there was nothing further to discuss. Hellberg said Middlesbrough were victims of cheating and described spying as a massive advantage, claiming it allowed Southampton to know their shape in the first half. Hellberg said the situation was unfair, caused anger, and damaged respect ahead of the second leg.

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