The Athletic FC.

Welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Ayo Akim Woleri.

Southampton have been expelled from the championship playoff final after being caught spying on opponents.

They'll also start next season with a points deduction.

So how has SpyGate cost Saints a place in the Premier League?

Joining us for this one from The Athletic, we've got our senior football news reporter, Matt Slater, and all the way from New York.

We've also got Adam Crafton as well.

All right, so on Tuesday night, Southampton were expelled from the EFL championship playoffs

after admitting spying on other sides.

On Wednesday, their appeal against the decision failed.

Matt, so much to get into on this one.

Firstly, just put some flesh on the bone for us, on what on earth has gone on here.

All right, I was trying to do a quick timeline.

So for people who have no idea what we're talking about, this is the second tier of English football, the championship.

Top two get promoted automatically.

Teams that finish third, fourth, fifth and sixth go into a playoff.

Third place, sixth, fourth place fifth. Two legs, home and away.

Middlesbrough and Southampton, fourth and fifth. Their first leg was at Middlesbrough on May the 9th.

On May the 7th, two days before, Daily Mail, hats off with, I think, the scoop so far of the year,

certainly in terms of sports news.

Amazing story.

Spy caught in the bushes filming training at Borough.

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