Southampton boss Tonda Eckert approved espionage plan, commission confirms

The commission, appointed by the English Football League, stated that junior staff were coerced into conducting the espionage with the intention of securing a competitive edge over rivals, such as Middlesbrough, whom Southampton had defeated in the semi-finals.

Middlesbrough will take Southampton's place against Hull City on Saturday in the playoff final, often referred to as the most lucrative match in football because of the Premier League rewards awaiting the victor.

"Mr Eckert acknowledged, as was necessary, that details like team selection and injuries are confidential information that a club would prefer to keep private before a match," the commission noted in its decision.

"He also admitted that he had explicitly sanctioned the surveillance to gather intelligence on formation and the status of a pivotal player."

The commission, which also imposed a four-point deduction on Southampton for the upcoming season, condemned the exploitation of junior staff in the espionage operation.

"The manner in which junior staff were pressured into performing tasks they believed were, at best, ethically questionable," the commission remarked in its published rationale for the ruling, released by the EFL on Thursday.

"These employees were in a precarious situation, lacking job security and with little capacity to challenge or refuse the directives they received."