Southampton, who suffered the earliest relegation in Premier League history last year, finished fourth in the Championship, but has been expelled from the play-offs to be promoted to the Premier League, and have been deducted four points in the Championship next season too. They call it "Spygate": they have been caught spying on rival teams Oxford, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough (unauthorised filming of their opponents training).
Southampton admitted to "multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs' training". The club admits guilt, but will appeal the punishment, because they consider it disproportionate. Chief executive Phil Parsons apologised to the other clubs involved, "and most of all to the Southampton supporters", who "deserved better from the club", but said that while what happened was grounds for punishment, they "cannot accept a sanction which bears no proportion to the offence".
Southampton defeated Middlesborough in the semi-final of the play-offs, 1-0 on aggregate, to qualify for the play-offs final against Hull, considered the most valuable match in the world, as the winner will get a huge financial boost from broadcasters for playing in the Premier League (soon to be reformed). However, Southampton was expelled and Middlesborough will play the final play-off match on Saturday at Wembley.
Southampton's appeal will be heard by an independent league arbitration panel, reports BBC, arguing that similar cases didn't receive such harsh punishments, although they were before the EFL added Regulation 127, which prohibits any club from observing, or attempting to observe, another club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two clubs.