Southampton’s appeal against their expulsion from the Championship play-offs has been rejected, confirming that the final will go ahead between Hull City and Middlesbrough F.C. on Saturday at 15:30 BST, with promotion to the Premier League at stake.
A league arbitration panel upheld the decision of an EFL independent disciplinary commission, which had earlier expelled Southampton from the play-offs following what it described as multiple breaches of EFL regulations. Middlesbrough were reinstated despite losing 2–1 on aggregate to Southampton in the semi-finals.
Confirming the ruling on Wednesday, the EFL said: “A league arbitration panel has tonight dismissed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the independent disciplinary commission’s sanction following the admittance of multiple breaches of EFL regulations.”
The governing body added that the original punishment would remain in place in full: “The determination means that the original sanction of expulsion from the Championship play-offs remains in place, as does the four-point deduction to be applied to the 2026-27 Championship table and the reprimand in respect of all charges.”
The decision is final, with no further right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
