Championship coach Eckert avoids immediate ban after spying on opposition teams training

Tonda Eckert will remain Southampton manager after an FA independent commission suspended a six-week ban handed to him for his role in the club’s Spygate scandal.

The German was also fined £28,000 and formally reprimanded after being found responsible for three breaches of FA Rule E3.1.

However, the suspension means Eckert is free to continue working until the end of next season, with the six-week ban only taking effect if he is involved in another spying incident during that period.

The FA had pushed for a three-month suspension, but the commission reduced the punishment after considering “considerable mitigation in this matter, most particularly around the genuine contrition”.

Southampton welcome suspended punishment

Southampton welcomed the decision and said it hoped the ruling would bring an end to a difficult period for the club.

 

“We hope this now brings a conclusion to a regrettable period of our history, and measures have been put in place to ensure that such errors in judgement never happen again at our club,” the club said.

Owner Dragan Solak said Southampton had “already suffered enough” and was pleased Eckert would be able to continue in his role.

“We are confident the manager has learned from this matter, and a suspended sentence allows him to continue in his role,” Solak said.

“I firmly believe that Tonda is one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches, and with this distraction removed, I am confident he can lead the team to a successful season.”

The FA has not yet confirmed whether it will appeal the commission’s decision.

Southampton already punished over spying

Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-offs in May after admitting that members of the club had spied on training sessions involving Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final.

The club were also given a four-point deduction for the current season.

An EFL independent disciplinary commission ruled that the spying had been authorised by Eckert and described it as a “contrived and determined plan from the top down”.

Eckert apologised in June, saying he had not known the practice was prohibited and insisting it had not affected his team’s performances.

The 33-year-old was subsequently charged by the FA, with the hearing taking place at the end of September.

Eckert became Southampton’s permanent manager in December 2025 after initially taking temporary charge while the club were 21st in the Championship. He guided them to fourth place at the end of the season.

Southampton are currently 13th, with four wins from their opening eight Championship matches, and face local rivals Portsmouth this weekend.

The case has also drawn comparisons with previous spying incidents. Marcelo Bielsa was not charged by the FA after Leeds were found guilty of spying on Derby in 2019, although the club were fined £200,000 by the EFL.

More recently, former Canada women’s coach Bev Priestman was banned from football for a year by FIFA after an opponents’ training session was spied on during the 2024 Olympics.