Dale Johnson

the Olympics in 2024 there was a case of Canada spying on New Zealand using a drone and this was against French law so the French police followed this drone and they found a member of the Canadian coaching staff operating this drone so they were docked six points and fined in the Olympic tournament but the coach, Bev Priestman and two members of the coaching staff were banned from all football globally for a year

And that tells you how serious this could be for Tom Derecha and whoever in the coaching staff has got a trail to being involved in this.

It's difficult to see how anybody who is culpable in this situation

can stay at the club just in terms of the fan perception.

We've heard many Southampton fans over the last 24 hours speak of their disgust and how they feel that this is a stain on the club for years to come.

So I just don't see how the fans can accept that anyone involved can have an association with the club.

Well, the arbitration panel will sit and they'll look at the judgment alone because obviously there's no question of guilt because it was admitted by Southampton.

So it's a case of weighing up whether the punishment that's been handed down by the

independent disciplinary commission fits the crime, so to speak.

So that will be the judgment that they will make.

And once that process is over, that's the end of it.

There is no appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

So we will get a hard end here.

Now, we should find this out on Wednesday, later on Wednesday, potentially Thursday morning.

But this is Southampton's only chance.

And they will argue that they've been unfairly treated.

But I just don't see how...

you can win an argument that you've been unfairly treated when you have literally tried to gain a sporting advantage on your opponent in the playoffs by cheating.

And let's factor in one thing here.

We're now, what, 12, 13, 14 hours after the decision as we speak right now.