Tonda Eckert is free to continue as Southampton manager after being given a suspended ban for his role in the Spygate scandal.<\/p>\n
A Football Association (FA) independent regulatory commission handed the German a six-week ban from all football, but suspended it until the end of next season.<\/p>\n
Eckert has also been given a \u00a328,000 fine and reprimand but avoided a lengthy ban that could have cost him his job.<\/p>\n
The FA had proposed a three-month ban, but the commission gave credit to Eckert for what they called “considerable mitigation in this matter, most particularly around the genuine contrition”.<\/p>\n
The FA is yet to confirm whether it will appeal.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Southampton welcomed the decision.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“We want to take this opportunity to thank the supporters for their unconditional backing throughout this process.”<\/p>\n
Saints owner Dragan Solak said the club had “already suffered enough”.<\/p>\n
“We appreciate the panel’s recognition of that,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We are confident the manager has learned from this matter, and a suspended sentence allows him to continue in his role.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Solak said the FA process had been a “positive experience”, but criticised the English Football League (EFL), saying “the way they have treated us is not something we will forget”.<\/p>\n
Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs<\/a> in May after admitting spying on training sessions involving Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final. <\/p>\n They were also handed a four-point deduction for this season.<\/p>\n An English Football League (EFL) independent disciplinary commission ruled at the time the espionage was authorised by Eckert and was a “contrived and determined plan from the top down”.<\/p>\n The 33-year-old apologised in June – claiming he was unaware the practice was banned and that it had no impact on his team’s performances – but the FA charged him with misconduct, and a hearing took place at the end of last month.<\/p>\n Eckert has been sanctioned for three breaches of FA Rule E3.1. The six-week ban from all football activity would be triggered if he was found to be involved in any other spying between now and the end of next season. <\/p>\n Eckert was appointed permanent Southampton manager in December 2025 after taking interim charge when they were 21st in the Championship. They finished the season in fourth place.<\/p>\n Saints, who face local rivals Portsmouth this weekend, are 13th in the Championship this season with four wins from their eight matches so far. <\/p>\n The FA did not charge Leeds United’s former manager Marcelo Bielsa after the club were found guilty of spying on Derby in 2019,<\/a> instead issuing a formal warning. <\/p>\n The EFL fined Leeds \u00a3200,000 – which Bielsa said he paid<\/a> – and introduced a rule prohibiting any club from observing a rival’s training session within 72 hours of a match between them.<\/p>\n