Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer reckon Southampton's ejection from the Championship play-off final is far too severe for what they did.
The broadcasting duo shared their thoughts on The Rest is Football podcast, with both suggesting a substantial financial penalty would have been the right call instead.
"I must say I was shocked at that news that broke this afternoon," Lineker said. "I'm not sure the crime warrants this punishment."
He described the incident as "a little guy with an iPhone filming" and pointed out this sort of thing has been happening for years.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer both believe the punishment was too harsh on Southampton
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"A giant fine would have probably suffice it, I would think," the former England striker added.
Shearer, who played for the Saints from 1988 to 1992, backed his colleague's view entirely.
The scandal centres on Southampton sending a performance analyst to secretly record Middlesbrough's training ahead of their semi-final clash.
The analyst was caught in the act after capturing video and photographs, which were then deleted.
But it didn't stop there – the club owned up to conducting surveillance on three different teams throughout the campaign.
An independent commission delivered its verdict on Tuesday evening, booting Southampton out of the play-offs despite their 2-1 aggregate victory over Boro.
Southampton's 'spygate' scandal has gripped the Championship | GETTYOn top of losing their Wembley spot, the Saints were slapped with a four-point deduction for next season.
Middlesbrough had pushed hard for this outcome, insisting removal from the final was "the only appropriate response" to protect "sporting integrity and fair competition."
"I know they've appealed and the appeal is tomorrow, but I'm with you in terms of the crime and the punishment," Shearer explained.
The former Newcastle striker referenced Marcelo Bielsa's similar spying incident, noting that Leeds were only fined when their manager was caught doing the same thing.
"I was expecting more of a huge fine rather than full expulsion from the final," he said.
Shearer didn't hold back on criticising his old club's behaviour, calling it "bonkers" and "stupid."
But he understood why Middlesbrough pursued such a strong response after feeling wronged.
The financial stakes are enormous – potentially hundreds of millions of pounds in lost Premier League revenue.
"The fans are the ones who suffer," Shearer added. "They're the ones who pay their money every single week, year after year. The fans are the ones that have been punished."
Alan Shearer criticised his former club Southampton for their actions
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Southampton's legal team reportedly worked through the night preparing their challenge, and a ruling on the appeal is expected later today.
The club's lawyers are said to be confident the decision will be overturned.
In the meantime, Middlesbrough have been told their Wembley date with Hull City will kick off at 3.30pm on Saturday.
The EFL confirmed the final remains scheduled for 23 May, with Boro now reinstated following Tuesday's ruling.
Middlesbrough will now take on Hull in the Championship play-off final for a spot in the Premier League | GETTY"We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct," Middlesbrough said in a statement.
Should Southampton successfully appeal and win back their place, the showpiece will revert to its original 4.30pm start time.