The former Southampton manager Harry Redknapp believes that the club’s expulsion from the Championship play-offs is “very harsh” – though admitted that their spying scandal was a “ridiculous thing to do”.
Southampton had been due to face Hull for a place in the Premier League at Wembley on Saturday but have now been removed from the game by the English Football League (EFL) having admitted to spying on three opponents this season, including beaten semi-finalists Middlesbrough.
Boro are now due to appear in the play-off final, subject to an appeal by Southampton, who have also been given a four-point deduction next season, against the severity of the sanction. That appeal is due to be heard on Wednesday and a final decision made.
Manager Tonda Eckert could also face disciplinary action for his involvement. Southampton were found guilty of breaching EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act towards each other with the utmost good faith, and EFL Regulation 127, which forbids clubs from observing other clubs’ training within 72 hours of a match.
Rednkapp, who spent a single year in charge of the club more than two decades ago, questioned both whether the punishment was too strong and why Southampton thought it worthwhile at all to conduct their activity, believing the benefits to be limited.
“I think it’s very harsh, I didn’t see that coming – I thought they would get a heavy fine,” Rednkapp told BBC Radio Solent. “[What they have done] is so stupid it’s beyond belief.”
“What are you learning by someone filming a bit of training? What are you learning by watching them train for an hour? It was a ridiculous thing to do.
“They have made a big, big error and they have been severely punished they really have. I don’t know how it is going to pan out. We certainly haven’t heard the last of it. I thought they would get a massive fine but to be thrown out the play-off final is really very severe.”
