Southampton's appeal against being expelled from the Sky Bet Championship play-off final has been rejected.
Saints were kicked out of the play-offs on Tuesday after being found guilty of spying by an EFL independent disciplinary commission.
Middlesbrough - who they spied on and beat in the semi-finals - were handed their place in Saturday's final at Wembley, and will now face Hull for the chance to be promoted to the Premier League.
"A league arbitration panel has tonight [Wednesday] dismissed Southampton Football Club's appeal against the independent disciplinary commission's sanction following the admittance of multiple breaches of EFL regulations," read an EFL statement.
"The determination means that the original sanction of expulsion from the Championship play-offs remains in place, as does the four-point deduction to be applied to the 2026-27 Championship table and the reprimand in respect of all charges."
Under EFL rules, Southampton do not have the right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with this decision final.
Saints released their own statement after it was confirmed their appeal had been rejected:
"This is an extremely disappointing outcome for everybody connected with Southampton Football Club. We know how painful this moment will be for our supporters, players, staff, commercial partners and the wider community who have given so much backing to the team throughout the season and we apologise once again to everyone impacted by this.
"While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football community over the last 24 hours.
"We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to our supporters for the support, patience and loyalty they have shown throughout an incredibly difficult period. We will share information as soon as possible in relation to ticket refunds for those who bought tickets to Wembley.
"Southampton Football Club has a proud history and strong foundations, but it is clear that trust now needs to be rebuilt. That work begins immediately. The club will reflect carefully on the events that have led to this point, learn from them and take the necessary steps to move forward responsibly.
"While tonight is a painful moment, this football club will respond with humility, accountability and determination to put things right."
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