A disappointed Kim Hellberg joined his players on the pitch after the final whistle. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters
Middlesbrough’s Hellberg says spygate has caused ‘toughest two weeks’ after Wembley defeat
Boro beaten by Hull in Championship playoff final. ‘It’s been two heartbreaking losses in one week.’
Kim Hellberg lamented the recent spygate saga as the “toughest two weeks” of his life after his reinstated Middlesbrough side missed out on Premier League promotion at Wembley. Boro became the first team in Football League history to be defeated in both the playoff semi-final and final, after his team replaced Southampton, who were thrown out of the competition for spying on rivals’ training sessions.
Hull master the tension to make it an unlikely mission accomplished. Read more. Hull’s 1-0 win, courtesy of Oli McBurnie’s injury-time goal, returned them to the Premier League after a nine-year absence, with Hellberg left to rue a “rollercoaster” for his Middlesbrough side.
“It has been tough,” he said. “It’s been draining emotionally. But there is no excuse. Hull scored a goal today and you have to congratulate them. We were ready to play the game. It’s been two heartbreaking losses in one week. When the game ends you feel very empty.”
Sergej Jakirovic had described his Hull team as “collateral damage” in a spying episode in which they played no part. Having prepared to face Southampton for a week, he had to switch plans a few days before the final. Nonetheless, he insisted he saw the funny side of a saga that means Southampton begin next season with a four-point deduction.
“When I heard for the first time, I start to laugh because what you can spy?” he said. “To send a guy to do this, I don’t understand. We didn’t speak about this case at all. We just spoke about what we need to do to focus concentration. The most important thing is we won today. With so many problems, everything that we achieved with the Premier League is unbelievable.”
Hull’s promotion came just a year after avoiding relegation to League One on goal difference, and operating with a two-window transfer fee embargo that left them able to sign only free agents. Concentration will now turn to the Premier League and how to avoid the instant relegation they experienced last time they played in the top flight.
“We will try to add better players than we have right now,” said Jakirovic. “But I think these main players who bring us to the Premier League can stay and help us as well. We just have to add better players than we have. Sunderland’s recipe is great because they brought dynamic players with pace and speed. I’m ready for everything. We have a nice budget. We will see.”
