Tonda Eckert was appointed permanent Southampton manager in December 2025 [Reuters]By ReutersPublished On 8 Oct 20268 Oct 2026Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has escaped major punishment for his role in the so-called “spygate” scandal after the English Football Association (FA) announced a suspended ban.
Eckert was fined 28,000 British pounds ($37,000) and given a reprimand but avoided a lengthy ban in the announcement on Wednesday, and he is free to continue in his role at the English Championship club.
The Saints were kicked out of last season’s Championship playoff final and were docked four points in the current campaign after admitting to three breaches of English Football League (EFL) regulations following being caught snooping on semifinal 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. The outcome means he can continue in 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 that this brings a “regrettable period of our history to a conclusion”.
The club, which sits 13th in the Championship, said that “measures have been put in place to ensure that such errors in judgement never happen again at our club”.
Southampton 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.
