Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic has described his club as "collateral damage" in the controversy that has seen Southampton expelled from the Championship play-offs for spying on rival clubs.

The Tigers had been scheduled to face Southampton in the play-off final this weekend, but the Saints were thrown out of the competition on Tuesday after admitting they had spied on three clubs across the season — including semi-final opponents Middlesbrough. An appeal by Southampton was dismissed on Wednesday, meaning Hull, who defeated Millwall in the other semi-final, will now face Middlesbrough in the final instead.

"We can say everything is unfair in this last two weeks. You don't know what's going on," Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

The former Bosnia international acknowledged the disruption the situation had caused his side, particularly the uncertainty of not knowing their final opponent until days before the match.

"We are collateral damage because we are waiting on [a] opponent and you don't know what's going on, what's happening," he said.

Focus firmly on the pitch

Despite the turbulence, Jakirovic insisted his opinion on the wider case "doesn't really matter" and suggested the pivot to preparing for a different opponent would not pose a major problem. "We know everything about them and they know everything about us," he said of Middlesbrough.

When asked whether the events of the past 10 days had sharpened his motivation, the Hull boss was direct: "Of course, this is what we can do. It's in our power, we will try to win. It will be a demanding game. It will be difficult of course but we are in good shape and good form. I hope we can win."

He also noted that while the situation appeared unfair from Hull's perspective, he could see it from Middlesbrough's point of view too — and chose not to make that argument. "We will try to beat them on the pitch," he said.

Southampton face further sanctions

Southampton's punishment extends beyond their expulsion from the play-offs. The Football Association has opened an investigation into their conduct, and the club have been handed a four-point deduction to carry into the 2026-27 season.

Both Hull and Middlesbrough are chasing an end to nine-year absences from the Premier League, with the final now set to take place on Saturday.