Southampton's head coach Tonda Eckert has apologized for orchestrating a spying scandal that led to the club's exclusion from the Championship playoff final. Owner Dragan Solak, however, expressed full support for Eckert, aiming for Premier League promotion next season.
Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has apologized for orchestrating the "Spygate" scandal, which led to the club being removed from Championship playoff contention. Owner Dragan Solak expressed full support for Eckert, aiming for Premier League promotion.
New documents reveal Southampton's head coach, Tonda Eckert, initiated a practice of spying on rival teams. An intern was tasked with recording training sessions, with assurances that the "manager loved it." The club was expelled from playoffs after spying on Oxford United, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough.
Hull City secured Premier League promotion after defeating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the playoff final. Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg described the preceding "spygate" saga, which saw Southampton disqualified, as the "toughest two weeks" of his life. Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic called his team "collateral damage" but celebrated their promotion.
Hull City secured Premier League promotion after a nine-year absence, defeating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the playoff final. Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg described the preceding "spygate" saga, which saw Southampton disqualified and Hull step in, as the "toughest two weeks" of his life. Hull's coach Sergej Jakirovic called his team "collateral damage" but celebrated their "unbelievable" achievement.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra left his IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders, early to prepare for upcoming Test series in Ireland and England. Despite limited game time, he feels mentally refreshed and well-prepared, drawing insights from conversations with players like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra feels mentally refreshed and prepared for upcoming Test matches against Ireland and England, despite limited game time in IPL 2026. He left the Kolkata Knight Riders early to train and consult with experienced players like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.
The FA is concerned about privacy at England's World Cup training ground in Kansas City and plans to install protective fences to prevent rivals from spying on team sessions, following the 'spygate' scandal.
Southampton presented training footage to the EFL to argue they gained no advantage from the Spygate scandal. Despite admitting to spying on Middlesbrough, Ipswich, and Oxford, the club believes the punishment of playoff expulsion and a four-point deduction is excessive. Other clubs, Millwall and Wrexham, are considering legal action.
Southampton's appeal against expulsion from the Championship playoff final for spying has been dismissed. The club also faces a four-point deduction next season. Hull will now contest the final against Middlesbrough.
Southampton FC has been expelled from the Championship playoffs and faces a four-point deduction for spying on rival training sessions. Players are reportedly furious and considering legal action for loss of earnings, potentially seeking compensation for a missed promotion opportunity.
The chants from Middlesbrough fans about Southampton’s spying are likely to linger in the memory far longer than a playoff semi-final that promised far more than it delivered. While Southampton will start Tuesday’s second leg as favourites, Boro cannot be discounted after dominating large tracts of a tie thoroughly overshadowed by a spying scandal.Slate grey rain clouds shrouded the Cleveland Hills and it seemed emblematic of the chill gloom enveloping the visitors after Middlesbrough accused one of Southampton’s analysts of spying on a training sessions and resulted in a misconduct charge from the Football League. Continue reading...
The investigation into the far-right leader comes as former National Rally chief Marine Le Pen battles an embezzlement conviction that bars her from running in the 2027 presidential election.
Late withdrawal from Italian Open casts significant doubt over player’s chances of competing at Roland Garros In the end Emma Raducanu was one of the first in and out the grandiose gates of the Foro Italico this year. She had arrived in Rome early, eager to test her health and readiness for top-level competition through a series of training sessions on the heavy red clay courts of the Italian Open. As the hours on court piled up, and her planned opening match on Thursday drew closer, it seemed reasonable to conclude that she would make her first appearance in two months. Instead, her absence from the courts will extend to more than two months.Things are rarely straightforward with Raducanu, demonstrated by the nature of her withdrawal in Rome, which occurred just 30 minutes after she gave little indication of her intention toduring a press conference. The past few months, as usual, have come with ample speculation about Raducanu’s health, meaning her appearance in Rome was at least an opportunity for her to provide clarity on her recent struggles. Somehow, the manner of her exit only generated further questions. Continue reading...
Rohit Sharma's participation in Mumbai Indians' IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad is uncertain. A final decision will be made at the toss. Sharma has been recovering from a hamstring injury. Suryakumar Yadav is preparing intensely for the game. Players from both teams were seen interacting during training sessions. Mumbai Indians await a potential boost for this key home contest.
Take Back Power, which targets the super-rich, says seven members were arrested at a training sessionSeven people from an activist group calling for higher taxes on the super-rich have been arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.Police confirmed that six women and one man were detained in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Sunday over what they said was a coordinated plan to steal from high-end stores. Continue reading...
