Middlesbrough will face Hull City in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 23, 2026, after the English Football League expelled Southampton from the tournament for illegally spying on opponents' training sessions.
Southampton's appeal against the expulsion was rejected late Wednesday, reinstating Middlesbrough into the lucrative promotion match following their initial semifinal defeat.
>>> Thunder Rally Past Spurs 123-108 to Take 2-1 Series Lead
The sudden change triggered an immediate logistics scramble for fans and organizers ahead of the game, which kicks off at 3:30 p.
m. local time.
Hull City's Preparation Amid Uncertainty
Assistant manager Dean Holden outlined the preparation mindset of Hull City before the final confirmation of their opponents was decided by the league's independent disciplinary commission.
"We're preparing fully to play Southampton on Saturday at 16:30 BST - that's what we've been told by the EFL.
If anything changes in the next couple days then we'll have to adapt to that," said Holden.
Holden emphasized that the coaching staff wanted to keep things simple for the squad despite the emotional weight and unusual narrative surrounding the promotion fixture.
"The key thing for us as staff is make sure to be as concise as possible," said Holden.
The assistant coach noted that the team possessed extensive tactical preparation for all potential opponents throughout the long campaign.
"There's obviously going to be a lot of emotion, a lot of nervous energy, going into such a big occasion and for us it's about the players going out there and not overthinking," said Holden.
