Middlesbrough boss Hellberg

MIDDLESBROUGH boss Kim Hellberg feels sympathy towards many people at Saints, including supporters who bought tickets for Wembley.

Hellberg's Boro have replaced Saints in the play-off final after the St Mary's side were booted from the competition by an independent disciplinary commission.

Saints have started the process to refund fans who bought tickets and official travel for the play-off final on Saturday, May 23.

Hellberg also expressed that he is sympathetic towards the Saints players who are not to blame for their play-off expulsion.

"Southampton is a big organisation with so many things involved. I have a lot of sympathy for supporters buying tickets, thinking they're going to Wembley," said Hellberg.

Kim Hellberg said it was not his position to discuss the severity of Southampton's punishment. (Image: Andy Commins/PA)

"Massive [sympathy] for some players that were not involved, there's a lot of sympathy for different things, it's also sympathy for our fans.

"It's for our supporters in terms of not knowing when to play the game; it's been a lot of sympathy for different things, and that is what this situation is about.

"It's been weird for a lot of different teams and supporters, and ups and downs, that is not fair to them, but it also comes from the decision they have made.

"I have a lot of sympathy for a lot of different people."

Hellberg was having a meal with his family when he discovered the verdict, and personally felt it was an "easy call" from the information he had seen.

But he insisted it was not his position to determine whether Southampton's punishment, which also includes a four-point deduction, is fair.

Asked if he feels vindicated by Southampton's punishment, Hellberg said: "The punishment is not for me to decide. I was never talking about punishment.

"When I talked about it, I talked about my emotions, and I think that's football, that's emotions, and that's what I've tried to do since I arrived here.

"I've tried to be open, not using "no comment" or not being like that, I'm just trying to be open with my emotions, it was never about anything else than that.

"I have nothing to do with the decision or punishment or what is right or wrong, I just talked about my emotions through the situation."