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Middlesbrough are reportedly incensed after claiming that a member of Southampton’s staff was caught filming their training sessions just days before the Championship play-off semi-finals.

The English Football League (EFL) has formally asked Southampton to provide their ‘observations’ following a complaint lodged by Middlesbrough over the alleged spying incident.

The two clubs are set to clash in the Championship play-off semi-finals, with the first leg scheduled at Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon. The return leg will be played on Tuesday night at St. Mary’s Stadium, and the aggregate winner will advance to Wembley to face either Millwall or Hull City for a place in next season’s Premier League.

According to reports from the Daily Mail, a member of Southampton’s analysis department allegedly recorded Middlesbrough’s training session ‘from a bush’ at the Rockliffe Park training ground. It is understood that after being confronted, Middlesbrough officials asked the individual to delete all photos and videos from his phone before escorting him off the premises.

EFL regulations explicitly prohibit any form of direct or indirect observation of another club’s training session within 72 hours of a match. This rule was added to the competition’s regulations in 2019 following previous controversies.

In a statement, the EFL confirmed: “The EFL has written to Southampton FC requesting their observations following a complaint from Middlesbrough FC regarding alleged unauthorised filming prior to the two clubs’ Championship play-off semi-final first leg on Saturday. The alleged incident is reported to have occurred on Middlesbrough’s private property by an individual associated with Southampton. The League is treating this as a potential misconduct matter under EFL regulations and will make no further comment at this stage.”

This is not the first time English football has faced a spying controversy. The anti-spying rule itself was introduced in 2019 after Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United were fined £200,000 in the 2018/19 season. Bielsa had admitted that one of his staff members had been caught observing Derby County’s training sessions ahead of a league fixture.

Outside England, similar incidents have stirred debate. During the 2024 Olympics, several members of the Canada women’s football team were suspended after being accused of spying on New Zealand’s training session. In the same year, Canada’s men’s team were alleged to have used a drone to monitor a Chile training session before the Copa America. While CONMEBOL imposed disciplinary action, FIFA did not pursue additional sanctions after conducting an investigation.