I've checked the neighbours' windows jokes Hull City's Sergej Jakirovic, but he does not see point in Spygate

Jakirovic's Hull City had been due to face Southampton in Saturday's Wembley final but when a Saints analyst was spotted watching Boro's training session two days before the sides met in the semi-final first leg, it set off a chain of events which saw the Teessiders take their place.

As well as spying on Boro, Southampton admitted to watching Oxford United and Ipswich Town during the regular season. On Tuesday they were expelled from the play-offs and docked four points for next season. Their appeal was thrown out the following day.

Although Jakirovic shied away from passing judgement on the punishment, Southampton's actions did bemuse and amuse him.

"It's not on me," he said when asked about the decision. "I can give my opinion, but it doesn't really matter because the independent panel brought this decision.

"I'm very sorry for Kim (Hellberg, Middlesbrough’s manager). I also spoke with Tonda (Eckert, Southampton's coach) when he managed against us away. He seems to be a normal nice guy, which he is still.

"But when you read that they also sent a man to Ipswich, to Oxford... today I checked the windows of our neighbours!

"When I watched the two (play-off) games, Middlesbrough had 40 attempts on goal. so I don't know what they spied there!

"It's unfair. It's not colleague-to-colleague (behaviour). But the players (talk), especially the ones who are not happy. Maybe my players said something, I don't know that.

"I don't really care because I will do everything to beat you on the pitch. Everything I can.

"Maybe somebody watched my training but sometimes you will see this team is not so good and think, 'We will beat them,' which is good.

"Some days the body language is low energy, you have everything in a season.

"Like in your job – you can't be happy every day, you are not in the mood sometimes. This is normal.

"I have to be in a good mood every day with good energy because I'm standing in front of people. I'm sending a message, even I have problems.

"But it (what Southampton did) is unfair. You have rules.

"When they told me after the first leg against Millwall I started to laugh. Why? Because I know everything about every team. And this is my first season here.

"I know every player because this is my job."

Until Wednesday night, Hull did not know if the game might have to be rearranged, or whether they were certain to play Middlesbrough. But Jakirovic does not want to use it as an excuse, even though Hull's owner, Acun Ilicali, has threatened legal action if the Tigers lose.

"For sure it's a relief because since Tuesday evening we've known who we are playing against,” he said.

"We prepared for at least last seven days for Southampton because they won in the semi-finals. And then from Tuesday evening we started to prepare for Middlesbrough, which is maybe a little bit short.

"This is all an alibi for me.

"But we've already faced Southampton and Middlesbrough two times (in the regular season), so we know everything about them, they know everything about us.

"We will see on Saturday. I'm optimistic because we had a few very good (training) sessions.

"Our main focus when we reached the final was this final game.

"So no matter who would be our opponent, our focus and concentration is on our team, what we can do there, how we can use our advantages there. This is the main thing.

"Of course, since Tuesday, it's been Middlesbrough, but we've prepared like (we have) before every game this season.

"I don't know how many Middlesbrough games I've watched now – seven, I think in two days, it's okay.

"Maybe I will find something that is good for us.

"We prepared well for this game so that we will have a good performance.

"It's not about who is better, Southampton or Middlesbrough.

"For me, the final is a 50-50 game, no matter who is the opponent, because it's pressure, it's a big game.

"Whoever will handle this pressure better will have an advantage. These big games are often decided by fine margins.

"It will maybe be very important that we have a strong start – they will try to do that as well – but also to be calm, to be happy with the ball.

"We have our tactical plan to stick together and then we try to use our advantages."

Manchester United loanee Toby Collyer has not recovered in time from an ankle injury to play, but Cody Drameh and Amir Hadziahmetovic have both trained this week after missing the semi-finals. Both were on the team bus when it left Hull's training ground for London on Thursday afternoon.