"It breaks my heart," Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg remarked after his side's exit from the Championship play-offs against Southampton on Tuesday.

However, the Swedish coach was not lamenting the 2-1 extra-time loss at St Mary's Stadium.

Hellberg was alluding to the Spygate incident, where Southampton face charges from the English Football League for violating rules by surveilling one of his key training sessions ahead of last Saturday's first-leg clash at the Riverside.

"If we hadn't spotted that individual they dispatched on a five-hour drive, you'd praise Southampton's tactical prowess and I'd head home feeling like a failure," Hellberg explained.

"When that's stripped away - 'we won't scout every match, we'll dispatch someone to record sessions and cross our fingers' - it shatters everything I stand for."

In a typical season, attention would shift to the play-off final on 23 May.

Yet plenty remains unsettled before Southampton confront Hull City for Premier League promotion.

And there's no guarantee this fixture will proceed.

Southampton requested a postponement for an internal investigation, but the EFL lacks such luxury.

For Middlesbrough, just one resolution suffices: striding out at Wembley a week Saturday.

Events in the coming days could shape not only this campaign for both teams but their long-term paths as well.

The Championship play-off final looms 10 days distant. Tickets require prompt sales. Fans deserve certainty for travel arrangements.

Instead, a full season's fate hinges on an independent disciplinary commission.

Southampton must press on routinely - though Tuesday's festivities were understandably subdued.

Wednesday saw the club unveil play-off final merchandise online, sans social media fanfare.

Final tickets hit sale Thursday - for a potential no-show for supporters.

At minimum, Saints manager Tonda Eckert maintains some routine, prepping for the showdown.

Middlesbrough linger in uncertainty pending the commission's session.

Rather than drills, BBC Sport learns players get brief downtime.

The group stays reachable - no escapes to Dubai, Ibiza, or stars' usual retreats.

Boro have signaled from the start: Southampton merits a competitive penalty. A mere fine won't soothe their outrage.

Boro owner Steve Gibson reportedly enlisted Nick de Marco, the sports attorney adept at swaying governing body panels.

De Marco lately ensured Sheffield Wednesday's zero-point start next term, overturning a projected 15-point hit.

Here, he'd push for imposing a penalty, not lifting one.

Should Gibson's bid falter at the commission, the saga might persist.

In 2021, Boro sued Derby County, alleging Rams' fiscal violations robbed them of a 2018-19 play-off spot.

Settlement followed, with BBC Sport sources indicating Boro pocketed £2m.

Should Southampton retain play-off status, Gibson chasing damages anew would surprise no one.

The EFL yearns to dispel the doubt.

Control now rests with the independent disciplinary commission.

Sport Resolutions oversees the procedure.

The trio includes a chair - often a KC, QC judge, lawyer, or barrister - plus two sports law experts, barristers, or mediators.

Selections prioritize fit and speed for urgent matters like this.

The commission sets its undisclosed schedule.

Rescheduling the final seems improbable. Wembley follows with bookings, then internationals beckon.

Resolution demands pre-23 May finality.

EFL seeks swift hearing; Southampton counters needing internal review time.

Initial session must hasten, granting appeals to interested parties like Middlesbrough.

Appeal verdicts stand final; EFL bars Court of Arbitration for Sport recourse.

Logistics plague Boro's potential sudden ticket push.

Key query: fitting penalty if Southampton's guilt holds.

Outcomes defy prediction sans precedent.

The commission pioneers it, amplifying stakes.

Unlike profit rules' graduated penalties, this breaks fresh ground.

Leeds United's 2019 Derby spying drew a £200,000 fine.

Key variances apply.

No pre-2019 ban existed on pre-match training views.

Leeds breached E.4's "utmost good faith" alone.

EFL responded with regulation 127: no observing rival sessions 72 hours pre-match.

Southampton faces both charges, un-denied.

Timing differs: Bielsa's January act mid-season; Saints' alleged pre-semi-final probe peaks stakes.

Boro fears Saints' Hull win and promotion dwarfs fines via Premier League cash.

Boro demands Saints' play-off ouster.

Likely via default 3-0 first-leg for Boro, yielding 4-2 aggregate.

Rare but real: 2002 West Brom got 3-0 vs Sheffield United post-abandonment from ejections and injuries.

Points deduction offers middle ground - sanction sans expulsion.

Post-promotion, EFL can't enforce in Premier League but urges carryover.

Commission balances equity, deterrence for future spies in high-stakes ties.

Southampton stays silent, media team blocking Eckert queries.

Staff face scrutiny: knowledge levels? Live feeds? Uploads?

Saints might claim rogue actor, self-driven to Rockliffe Park pre-travel.

Hellberg refutes: post-match, he cited decision-makers enabling cheats.

Recall 2024 Olympics women's football: Fifa docked Canada six points for New Zealand drone spy, year-banning three staff including coach.

Might Southampton staff draw touchline bans?

One view: Saints fans merit the shot after 48 games' toil.

Yet sans sports penalty, anarchy looms - impunity reigns.

True cost if Saints ascend unscathed?

The finale? Pure speculation.