SPORTSWORLD.AM
Southampton have released a statement after the Arbitration Committee rejected the club's appeal against its punishment in the Middlesbrough coaching espionage case.
Southampton FC notes the publication of written reasons by the Adjudicatory Committee for its decision to dismiss our appeal against the sanctions previously imposed on us by the Disciplinary Committee during the EFL proceedings.
We accept that the club breached the applicable rules and agree that the disciplinary authorities were entitled to conclude that proof of sporting advantage is not required to establish a serious breach. The club acknowledges that certain aspects of our initial response to the situation were not considered in detail. We also believe that the matter could have been resolved differently at an earlier stage and we accept responsibility for our incorrect assessment of the circumstances.
However, we are pleased to have accepted the allegations and, following the launch of the EFL's formal investigation, ensured full cooperation and maximum transparency.
We also note that the club has been held to the highest standards of integrity, and rightly so. However, we find it difficult to accept that the same rigorous approach appears not to have been applied to the formation of the disciplinary committee, given the obvious historical and indirect links to Middlesbrough of two of its members.
While these circumstances do not in themselves prove bias, they raise legitimate questions about the level of consistency, perception, and independence expected in trials of this scale.
The club is also concerned about the weight given to allegations of pressure on members of the youth team to be involved in the incident, while some of the most serious allegations appear to have been unfounded. "At the same time, the club's youth staff should not have been put in a situation where they felt under pressure and the club accepts responsibility for any shortcomings in leadership and supervision," a statement on the club's website said.
Southampton were previously disqualified from the Championship play-off final for spying on Middlesbrough during training.