Hull City saw their play-off final opponents changed just days before the game after Southampton were expelled from the competition following the Spygate scandal. Now, the club’s owner, Acun Ilicali, reveals that his lawyers believe they have grounds to demand immediate promotion to the Premier League.
Key details
Southampton were found guilty of breaching EFL regulations when they were caught spying on Middlesbrough training ahead of their play-off semi-final. The club also admitted two other cases of spying on opposing teams, which resulted in its exclusion from the finals.
Despite the turnaround, Middlesbrough’s return to the competition is not yet fully confirmed, as the Saints will lodge an appeal on Wednesday against the severity of the sanction imposed.
As his side prepare to face Boro next weekend, Ilicali confirmed that following Southampton’s expulsion, their lawyers advised that Hull City should be promoted directly to the top flight without the need to contest the play-off final.
“Under normal circumstances, two teams reach the final and one is disqualified,” said Ilicali. “The opinion of our lawyers is that we should go directly to the Premier League, but they are analyzing the situation at the moment. We cannot say anything definitive. It’s a slightly confusing situation», he explained.
The owner of Hull City also regretted the sporting impact of the decision, which destroyed all preparation for the decisive game. “We have been preparing for Southampton for 10 days. All planning, analysis and work was focused on them. Now, with just a few days to go until the final, the opponent has changed. Tomorrow the players have a day off, Thursday is the last real training session. We will prepare for the new opponent with just one training session», he concluded.
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