Southampton welcome suspended ban for manager Tonda Eckert over spying case

Southampton have welcomed the Football Association’s decision to suspend manager Tonda Eckert for six weeks over his alleged involvement in a spying case involving Middlesbrough.

Eckert was formally charged by the Football Association after Southampton were previously punished over the unauthorised filming of opponents’ training sessions. The club was removed from the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League as a result.

The six-week suspension has been suspended, allowing Eckert to continue in his role.

In a club statement, Southampton said: “Southampton Football Club welcomes the outcome of the Football Association hearing into events that took place at the end of last season.”

It added: “We hope this brings an end to an unfortunate period in our history. Measures have been put in place to ensure that mistakes of this nature are not repeated.”

The club also thanked its supporters for their backing, saying: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank our fans for their continued support throughout this period. Our fanbase is second to none, and we look forward to moving forward together towards a bright future.”

Southampton owner Dragan Solak said he was pleased that the independent commission had reached its decision.

“I am pleased that the independent commission has reached a decision and that we have had an outcome,” he said in the club statement. “We have suffered enough, and we appreciate the commission recognising that.”

Solak added: “We are confident that the manager has learned from this case and that the suspended sentence allows him to continue his duties. I firmly believe that Tonda is one of the most promising young coaches in Europe and, with this obstacle removed, I am confident he can lead the team to a successful season.

“I would like to thank our fans for their tremendous support and backing of the team at a time when we needed them most.”

Eckert attended a hearing at Wembley Stadium on 24 September before the Football Association announced its decision on Wednesday.

Southampton are preparing to face Portsmouth in the Championship on Sunday.

In May, the English Football League (EFL) removed Southampton from the Premier League promotion play-offs and imposed a four-point deduction for the 2026-2027 season after the club admitted “multiple breaches” involving the unauthorised filming of opponents’ training sessions. One of those incidents involved Middlesbrough’s training session before the two sides met in the play-off semi-final.

Although Southampton won the tie on the pitch, the EFL reinstated Middlesbrough in the final in their place. Middlesbrough went on to face Hull City, while Southampton’s appeal was rejected by the EFL’s arbitration panel, which upheld all the sanctions against the club.

The EFL’s investigation could only deal with clubs and did not have the authority to charge individuals. The Football Association therefore waited for the EFL process to conclude before opening its separate investigation into Eckert.

The Football Association subsequently brought three charges against Eckert under regulation E3.1, covering the period from December 2025 to May 2026. It alleged that he had “directed and/or monitored” training sessions belonging to Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough.

Regulation E3.1 requires everyone involved in football to act in the best interests of the game and prohibits improper conduct that could damage football’s reputation or bring it into disrepute.