The controversy surrounding the Championship play-offs has taken another twist, with a Liverpool player caught up in the chaos as Southampton could be kicked out of the final
19:30, 13 May 2026Updated 19:36, 13 May 2026
Head Coach Tonda Eckert of Southampton at the end of his sides 2-1 win in extra time during the Sky Bet Championship Play Off Semi Final Second Leg match between Southampton and Middlesbrough at St Mary's Stadium on May 12, 2026 in Southampton, England
Southampton's alleged 'spy' has been named amid the ongoing controversy around the Championship play-offs(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool winger Lewis Koumas finds himself caught up in the chaos surrounding this year’s Championship play-offs, with the alleged ‘spy’ at the center of the controversy having now been named.
Koumas has been on loan at Hull City since January, having spent the first half of the season at Birmingham, and the 20-year-old could now be set to help the Tigers return to the Premier League.
Hull has booked its place in the play-off final, having beaten Millwall in the semi-finals after beating Wrexham and Derby to the last spot in the top six on the final day of the regular season. There is still doubt over who it will face at Wembley on May 23 though.
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Southampton beat Middlesbrough on Tuesday to book its place in the final, but the Saints could yet be kicked out by the EFL amid the ongoing ‘Spygate’ saga.
Boro claim that a Southampton staff member was discovered in the act using his mobile phone to film their training session two days prior to the first leg, which finished goalless. Saints have confirmed they are assisting with the inquiry, which is progressing swiftly to ensure resolution well before the play-off final.
Middlesbrough is lobbying for sporting penalties and will carry on training in anticipation that the EFL expels the Saints from the play-offs as retribution, should they be deemed guilty. Evidence is being compiled by Middlesbrough and the substance of their argument became more apparent on Wednesday afternoon.
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The Daily Mail has released an image of the alleged individual, William Salt, who serves as an intern on Tonda Eckert's backroom staff at Southampton. The photograph captures Salt standing beside a tree on the path bordering Boro's training facility while holding his mobile phone aloft, reports the Mirror.
The publication further claims that Salt purchased a coffee at Rockliffe Hall Golf Club using his own bank card – the golf club adjoins the training ground and is under the ownership of club chairman Steve Gibson.
This raises the prospect of a paper trail spanning the nation, with Middlesbrough harbouring suspicions that Southampton may have conducted surveillance on additional clubs throughout the campaign.
The ultimate resolution of this affair remains uncertain, with Koumas and Hull still in the dark about who they will face in the final.
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - MARCH 3: Lewis Koumas of Hull City reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Hull City at Portman Road on March 3, 2026 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Izzy Poles - AMA/Getty Images)
Lewis Koumas and Hull City will have to wait to find out who they will face in the play-off final(Image: Getty Images)
While Boro are advocating for play-off expulsion and reportedly possess evidence suggesting this isn't an isolated incident, there exists less stringent precedent. In 2024, the Canadian women's Olympic squad received a six-point penalty for deploying a drone to monitor New Zealand's training sessions.
Southampton is accused of violating rule 127, which prohibits the observation of another club's training within 72 hours preceding a fixture. These regulations were implemented following Leeds United's espionage of Derby County in 2019.
Ahead of Tuesday's second leg, Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons released a statement saying: "The club is fully cooperating with the EFL and the Disciplinary Commission, whilst also undertaking an internal review to ensure that all facts and context are properly understood.
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"Given the intensity of the fixture schedule and the short turnaround between matches, we have requested time to complete that process thoroughly and responsibly. We understand the discussion and speculation that has followed over recent days, but we also believe it is important that the full context is established before conclusions are drawn.
"Having spent a significant amount of time around this football club, I know the character of the people within it."