Middlesbrough Reinstated for Championship Play-Off Final After Southampton Exclusion

Middlesbrough will meet Hull City in Saturday's Championship play-off final at Wembley after an independent commission excluded Southampton from the competition. The EFL commission ruled that a Southampton staff member had observed Middlesbrough training sessions before the first leg of the semi-final, violating league rules. Southampton's subsequent appeal was dismissed.

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg said he has not slept for one and a half weeks. He stated he took a short trip to Sweden with his son to watch a Hammarby match after the semi-final exit. Hellberg expressed sympathy for Southampton supporters who had purchased tickets and for players not involved in the incident. He also noted sympathy for Hull City supporters uncertain about the final date.

Hellberg said his squad has had limited training time since the second leg against Southampton. Midfielder Hayden Hackney's fitness remains uncertain, and the manager said he will assess the player until the last minute. The manager added that the back-and-forth decisions have made it difficult to maintain a consistent training schedule for the players.