Southampton boss Eckert fined £28,000 but avoids immediate ban over ‘Spygate’ scandal

Southampton’s German head coach Tonda Eckert looks up before the start of the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Fulham and Southampton at Craven Cottage in London on March 8, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Thursday, 08 Oct 2026 4:27 PM MYT

LONDON, Oct 8 — Southampton boss Tonda Eckert on Wednesday escaped major punishment for his role in the so-called “Spygate” scandal after the Football Association announced a suspended ban.

Eckert has also been fined £28,000 (RM151,205) and given a reprimand but avoided a lengthy ban and is free to continue in his role at the Championship club.

Saints were kicked out of last season’s Championship play-off final and docked four points in the current campaign, having admitted three breaches of English Football League regulations after being caught snooping on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough and two other teams.

An EFL independent disciplinary commission ruled in May that Eckert had “specifically authorised” the spying, throwing his future at the English second-tier club into doubt.

The 33-year-old accepted full responsibility and was charged by the FA with misconduct.

The German coach attended an FA hearing at the start of the current international break and the outcome means he is able to continue his role against rivals Portsmouth on Sunday.

“Tonda Eckert subsequently admitted the charges, and an independent regulatory commission imposed a six-week suspension from all football and football-related activity, which is suspended until the end of the 2027/28 season, a £28,000 fine and a reprimand following a hearing,” the FA said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The suspended sanction will come into effect in the event he is found to have committed a breach of rules or regulations by requesting, authorising, taking, or using information from any observation of the training of another club, in whatever guise that observation may take.”

Southampton said in a statement it brings to a “conclusion to a regrettable period of our history”.

The club, who sit 13th in the Championship, said “measures have been put in place to ensure that such errors in judgement never happen again at our club”.

Owner Dragan Solak said: “I’m pleased that the independent panel has come to a decision and that we have an outcome.

“We have already suffered enough, and we appreciate the panel’s recognition of that.

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

Eckert was appointed permanent Southampton boss in December 2025, leading the club to fourth spot in the Championship table after a poor start to the season. — AFP