Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic has criticised Southampton for “crossing a line” by spying on rival teams’ training sessions, but questioned the value of doing it.
The Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs on Tuesday by an independent commission after admitting to breaching league regulations.
The club confessed to observing a training session held by their semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough, within 72 hours of their first leg encounter. Furthermore, Southampton acknowledged engaging in similar surveillance before matches against Oxford in December and Ipswich in April.
Jakirovic found himself in an unenviable position, uncertain of his side’s play-off final opponent or even the match date, as legal hearings and a potential appeal threatened to delay the showpiece event on Saturday. While declining to comment directly on the sanction imposed on Southampton, the Hull boss was unequivocal in his condemnation of their actions.
“They crossed a line, 100 per cent,” Jakirovic stated. He recalled a conversation with Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert, describing him as a “normal, nice guy”, but added: “maybe now, when you read that they also sent men to Ipswich, to Oxford, maybe they did all the league?”
Jakirovic light-heartedly remarked that he had checked the windows overlooking Hull’s training pitch for potential spies.
He also cast doubt on the efficacy of Southampton’s espionage.
“Most importantly, they caught him, 48 hours before. When I watched the game, Middlesbrough had 40 attempts towards goal, so I don’t know what they spied there,” he observed.
Jakirovic contrasted this with his own meticulous preparation: “I know everything about every team, and this is my first season here, I know every player – but this is my job.”
Asked if he considered the spying unnecessary, he replied: “I thought this especially when I saw the guy next to the tree. But you know now that they kick you out (for doing this). It’s everything – it’s players, it’s sponsors. It’s serious.”
With a crucial match against Middlesbrough looming on Saturday, the stakes are incredibly high. Financial services firm Deloitte estimates the value of even a single season in the Premier League at £205 million over three seasons.
When questioned about the significance of promotion, the Bosnian manager’s response was emphatic.
“Everything. because what we have achieved here, in these circumstances, with all these problems this whole season, is unbelievable. There is one more little step that we have to do, and we will try to do everything in our power to get there.”
