Middlesbrough are keen to put Spygate behind them and concentrate on the play-off final

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg is keen to move past the Spygate scandal before facing Hull City in the Championship play-off final, a match that could take his team back to the Premier League for the first time in nine years.

The defeat to Southampton in the semi-finals had seemingly ended Middlesbrough’s season, but Southampton were kicked out of the final for spying on opponents throughout the season, including Middlesbrough before their first leg.

Middlesbrough, who last week called for Southampton to be excluded from the final due to a spy row, will now play Hull at Wembley on Saturday.

«It was a lot of emotions and I’m very happy to be here,» Hellberg told reporters on Thursday.

«It has been very, very difficult and from yesterday, when it was 100 percent clear, we could of course start to concentrate on the match we are going to play. It is the biggest match for most of the players and of course for the coaches.»

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Hellberg said he sympathized with Southampton fans who bought tickets for the final, but insisted responsibility for what ultimately happened lay with the club.

«Of course I have a lot of sympathy for supporters who pay for tickets and think they’re going to Wembley. It’s huge for some of the players who weren’t involved and tried,» the Swedish manager said.

«It’s been strange for a lot of different teams and supporters. That’s not fair to them, but it also comes from the decision they made.»

Southampton crossed a line

Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic said it was a relief to finally know who his side would face in the final this weekend.

«We have been preparing for Southampton for at least the last seven days. Why? Because they won and went through to the final. And after Tuesday, after this decision, we automatically switched to Middlesbrough,» he said.

«But like I said, we know all these teams. We’ve played them twice, so we know everything about them, they know everything about us, and then it’s not that hard to prepare for this game.»

Jakirovic said Southampton had broken the rules.

«They crossed a line, 100 percent. The important thing is that they got him,» he added.

«But it’s not up to me. My opinion doesn’t really matter because the independent panel made this decision. My job is to prepare my team for the final and try to reach the Premier League.»

Published on May 21, 2026