THE CHAMPIONSHIP play-offs have been rocked by SPYGATE 2.0 after a secret Southampton agent was caught filming Middlesbrough train.
The Saints travel to the Riverside on Saturday for the first leg of their play-off semi final against .
Kim Hellberg is preparing Middlesbrough for the Championship play-offs Credit: Alamy
Tonda Eckert’s Southampton finished the season in red-hot form Credit: Getty
But in a sensational repeat of Marcelo Bielsa’s ‘spygate’ furore from 2019, Southampton attempted to try and get a sneak peak of Kim Hellberg’s tactics.
And it could land Tonda Eckert’s men in hot water with league chiefs.
A man, believed to be a first-team analyst, was allegedly spotted hiding in a bush and recording training at Boro’s Rockcliffe HQ on Thursday.
Club staff approached the male, who refused to identify himself before deleting pictures and video.
He then made a sharp exit from the training ground and darted to the toilets of the neighbouring Rockliffe Hall Hotel, owned by Boro chairman Steve Gibson, to change clothes before exiting the area.
The individual involved has allegedly been identified through his public profile pages and appears to be an employee of Southampton.
Spying on opposition training within 72 hours of a match is in breach of rules.
Boro have declined to comment though SunSport understands they contacted the EFL.
Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa was at the centre of the original ‘spygate’ scandal in 2019 Credit: Getty
And sources told SunSport that the governing body are “aware” of the situation.
The incident sparks memories of the outrage that surrounded Bielsa instructing a Leeds colleague to spy on ’s training ahead of a Championship showdown seven years ago.
The Argentine admitted it was his idea and received a £200,000 fine and were reprimanded by the EFL for a breach of Regulation 3.4, which states: “In all matters and transactions relating to the League, each club shall behave towards each other club and The League with the utmost good faith.”
Following that controversy, new rules were introduced that prohibited teams from viewing opposition training in the 72-hour window prior to games, unless they had been invited to do so.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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