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Matt Le Tissier slams EFL for putting Southampton ‘on trial for murder’ over Spygate punishment

Matt Le Tissier slams the EFL for putting Southampton ‘on trial for murder when all you’ve done is stolen a Mars bar’.

The former Saints legend hasn’t held back with his thoughts on the saga, with an Independent Disciplinary Commission expelling Southampton from the Championship playoff final.

It comes after they admitted to multiple breaches of EFL Regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training sessions.

Southampton have also been given a four-point deduction for the 2026/27 Championship table. Southampton have appealed the decision.

He said, as per The Sun: “Personally I try to put a neutral hat on but I feel like the punishment does feel a bit disproportionate.

“It feels like you’ve been put on trial for murder when all you’ve done is stolen a Mars bar from the corner shop.

“That’s kind of what it feels like to me.

“Yes, there’s wrongdoing, there’s a rule in place and the club perfectly accepted that there was going to be punishment.

“But the surprise has come to a lot of people that the punishment does feel disproportionate with regard to what the actual offence was.

“You could say it’s a 50-50 chance of whether we go up or not. So I’d probably say it’s like a £100million fine.

“It’s a rule talking about something that gets you literally a microscopic advantage over a team.

“People use the word cheating a lot in football. And yes, that’s exactly what it was. But for me, diving for penalties is cheating.

“When you’ve not been touched by an opponent and you go down in the box, that’s blatant cheating.

“And that is something that will have far more of an impact on a match than knowing where your opposition’s set pieces are going to take place.

“I’d probably say actually diving for a penalty to influence the outcome of a game is probably a more serious offence because it’s something that does materially affect the outcome of the game.

“Whereas what Southampton have done, can it affect the outcome of a football match?

“The three games that obviously the club have admitted to, we didn’t win any of them games. So it proves the point that it’s pretty minimal.”

On it being easier to spy on training sessions back in his day: “Anyone could just walk in and watch. In half term we’d have loads of kids come in, parents would bring their kids in and they’d sit and watch us train. So anyone could have come in from any other club.”

On the EFL’s decision: “I’m not sure if they thought through all the ramifications of what their decision meant because it’s going to be messy. It really is.

“There could be lawsuits all over the place. Wrexham are already making noises.

“I feel for the players who had a chance to go play in the Premier League.

“For some of those players, that opportunity might never come around again. All for stuff that’s completely out of their hands.

“And the fans who spent good money going up to Middlesbrough on a Saturday lunchtime and then 30,000 of them come to St Mary’s last Tuesday. They’ve all spent their money for no reason.

“Would those fans have a case for getting refunds back? Who would be liable? It’s a complicated one.”

On Wednesday morning, Matt Le Tissier tweeted: “When the efl made the rule change after bielsa was caught spying, wouldnt it have been sensible to put alongside that what the punishment would be if the crime was committed. That would’ve saved them a lot of trouble. I think it’s important that the punishment fits the crime btw”

Plenty of fans reacted after Matt Le Tissier slams the EFL for putting Southampton ‘on trial for murder’ over the Spygate punishment…

@WardySBE: In a position like yours you should be asking questions of Southampton and why the cheating took place. Not having a pop at the EFL and the punishment.

@TomWilliams2010: Saints fan here. I know we did wrong and deserve a punishment. But does the EFL define ‘cheating’ in future? A dive to win a penalty? Professional foul? Scuffing up the penalty spot? Names of penalty takers on bottles? What happens to those who do the above and prosper?

@Erimus_Paul: Why, so a club can decide if cheating is worth the risk or not, that’s exactly what we need to avoid and this penalty will ensure that no club will ever incorporate systemic cheating into their tactical plans.

@AdamPro_Actor: I say well done EFL. I know that’s not what you want to hear being a saints fan but it’s nice to see someone show a backbone. All my life I’ve grown up in this soft country where proper punishment has been non-existent. This sets a precedent – cheat at your own peril…

@Darrenforeman2: Couldn’t agree more Matt, but I am a saints fan so therefore my opinion can only be seen as biased according to the fans of other clubs. Angry /embarrassed at my club most certainly but the EFL have hardly covered themselves in glory with this

@Matty_PUSB: If you cheat, you leave yourself open to being kicked out as with all sports. I can’t see how Southampton can rightly have the chance to gain promotion with it being systemic. We’ll never know if they gained an advantage from spying and how many other teams were spied on.

@Ph65PauloDingle: Feel for saints fans but feel it’s the correct decision. If it was a one off yea smack on wrist big points deduction but this is multiple times and only what they’ve admitted.

@MattKL1980: The punishment isn’t the problem Matt (they’ve been at it since December). Agree the lack of clarity around sanctions and the timing (to an extent out of their control) has made for an almost impossible situation.

@PakefieldITFC: It would have been even more sensible for Southampton to just adhere to the rules 🤷🏻‍♂️

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