Southampton is expelled from the EFL Championship playoff final after a spying scandal involving its semifinal match against Middlesbrough. Multiple outlets report that the club is removed from the final, which decides promotion to the Premier League. As a result of the expulsion, Middlesbrough is reinstated and is set to face Hull City at Wembley on Saturday, with the winner earning a Premier League place. One report also states that Southampton receives a four-point deduction for next season in addition to being thrown out of the final. The accounts agree that the disciplinary action is directly tied to Southampton’s conduct related to Middlesbrough during the semifinal, when Southampton defeated Middlesbrough. The sanctions therefore both remove Southampton from the promotion decider and leave Middlesbrough to continue its playoff campaign against Hull.