Hull to take legal action if they lose play-off final

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali is attending the Championship play-off final

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has vowed to take legal action if the Tigers do not win Saturday's Championship play-off final against Middlesbrough.

Boro lost to Southampton in the semi-final - but were reinstated after Saints admitted to spying on the Teessiders' training session. wereexpelled from the competition.

"Our legal team says that we have to go for action. that's for sure," Ilicali told BBC Radio Humberside outside Wembley Stadium before kick-off in the final.

"So we have no doubt about it. Here, all we want is justice. If justice is broken, nobody will enjoy football."

Ilicali described the decision to allow Middlesbrough to re-enter the play-offs as "unbelievable".

He said: "If this action was so big that a team is out of the play-offs, why didn't they let them not play the semi-final, investigate. take Southampton out and put Wrexham in?

"Why is Wrexham out now? Put Wrexham in and continue the competition.

"For me, an eliminated team [being] put back - also our lawyers say this. that's their opinion too - is an incredibly wrong decision."

The 56-year-old. who took over Hull City in 2022, said he did not want to discuss the outcome of the EFL's independent disciplinary commission's hearing before the day of the final to avoid distracting the players.

"Now I can talk a little more because now the boys are in the stadium. they will not hear me. I didn't want to make their focus disturbed," he added.

"Decisions are discussable from what I understand from our lawyers, very discussable.

"But of course we have to focus on the game and the boys are tough enough to overcome these difficulties."

Southampton's Eckert authorised spying missions

Southampton expelled from play-offs for spying

FA opens Southampton investigation over Spygate

Hull City are facing Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final on Saturday at Wembley

Southampton were expelled from the play-offs on Tuesday. their appeal against the decision was rejected the following day - just 72 hours before kick-off in Saturday's showpiece event.

Saints also admitted to spying on two other rivals' training sessions, including Oxford United in December. Ipswich Town last month.

The Football Association has sinceopened an investigationof its own into Southampton over the Spygate scandal.

The club accepted what happened was "wrong" and apologised to the other clubs involved, as well as Southampton's supporters.

After their appeal was rejected, the club said in a statement: "While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter. the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football community."

But Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg said his trust in "doing the right thing" was restored after Saints' expulsion.

"It's a feeling of relief, happiness, a little bit of trust in doing the right thing. humanity," hetold BBC Radio Tees.

"The right way to do it is working hard, not doing something else when everyone will see with the evidence. everything we know.

"It is quite clear what has been done and that should never be allowed in football."

Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic previously said the Tigers were "collateral damage". they had to wait to find out which opponent they would actually be facing in the final.

"We can say everything is unfair in this last two weeks. You don't know what's going on," hetold BBC Radio Humberside.

"If you look from a Middlesbrough point of view they knew if they were successful they would play against us so I can turn the situation around. I will not do that. We will try to beat them on the pitch."

Championship play-off final: Hull face Middlesbrough for Premier League place after Spygate saga

You can understand why Ilicali feels his Hull team and their fans have been hard done by.

It should have been a triumphant build-up to the play-off final,. it ended up being a week of distraction as Spygate took up the headlines.

The Tigers had a week preparing to play Southampton, then they had to rip up those plans. pivot to Middlesbrough.

By the time the appeal was heard on Wednesday night,. Hull were sure they would play Boro, they had just two days' training left.

Ilicali's legal team may believe they have a case that Hull should not have to play the final. that they should be automatically promoted. After all, Boro had been eliminated.

Yet this is not how sporting sanctions work in English football,. there seems little chance of a legal challenge being successful.

The precedent is that if a team breaks a regulation in a knockout competition -. the play-offs are - their opponents go through to the next round.

Take the EFL Trophy this season.

In January, Luton Town lost 2-1 at home to Swindon Town in the round of 16.

Swindon were then drawn to play Plymouth in the quarter-finals -. it was discovered that the Robins hadfielded two ineligible playersagainst Luton.

Swindon were expelled and Luton reinstated.

The independent disciplinary commission did not put Plymouth directly through to the semi-finals. or go back to the last 32 to find new opponents for Luton in the last 16.

Just as with Boro in the play-offs, Luton progressed to the next round.

Luton, after at one stage being knocked out, would go on to beat Stockport in the final at Wembley. lift the trophy.

What about Ilicali's claim that Wrexham should have been reinstated? That has little ground either.

Even if you applied Southampton's four-point penalty to this season's league table. they would still be in the play-offs against Middlesbrough. Wrexham would still be seventh.

Plus, the league season. the play-offs are considered separate tournaments, which is why the independent disciplinary commission felt it was necessary to apply two punishments - the points deduction and expulsion.

How about Ilicali's claim that the Southampton v Middlesbrough games should not have taken place?

The issue here. of course, is due process - taking action to stop the game happening would imply guilt on the part of Southampton.

The EFL opened an investigation on 7 May, the same day it was told about the spying on Boro. It charged them the next day. then, as per EFL regulations, the process was handed over to an independent body.

Hull may feel aggrieved. there is nothing in the decision of the independent disciplinary commission which has deviated from the usual judgements in English football.

Latest Hull City news, analysis and fan views

Listen to Hull City content on BBC Sounds