[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the covert filming scandal continues to escalate. Middlesbrough is piling pressure on the EFL, demanding that Southampton be expelled from the promotion play-off final, with an independent panel required to issue a ruling by local time this Friday. William Salt, a first-team match analysis intern at Southampton, was photographed hiding beside a tree and secretly recording Middlesbrough’s training session on his mobile phone. A brief physical altercation broke out when members of Middlesbrough’s media team confronted him. Salt allegedly refused to identify himself before fleeing the scene. The leaked footage will be reviewed as key evidence by the EFL independent panel. Middlesbrough’s preferred outcome is for Southampton to be handed a defeat and directly disqualified from the final. A viable precedent is the Canadian women’s Olympic football team, which was docked six points for using a drone to secretly film an opponent’s training session. Given that the EFL has since tightened its regulations, a simple fine is highly unlikely in this case.
The editor believes that the independent panel is under immense pressure to issue a preliminary ruling by this Friday local time, as Southampton will retain the right to appeal if any sanctions are imposed. The worst-case scenario for the EFL is a delayed verdict, which could force a postponement of the Wembley final scheduled for May 23. Fans would require sufficient advance notice of any rescheduling. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough’s players are set to return to training on Friday, preparing for the possibility of being drafted into the final as a replacement qualifier.