Does Southampton Spygate boss Eckert deserve a second chance?

ByDaniel Austin

BBC Sport elder journalist

"I anticipation that implicit clip you tin recognize and forgive."

Those were the words of Southampton manager Tonda Eckert, speaking to supporters successful a video apology published by the club's in-house media squad connected Tuesday, pursuing the Spygate ungraded which led to his squad being thrown retired of the Championship play-offs.

The 33-year-old said helium took "full responsibility" for the charges Southampton admitted during the English Football League's (EFL) probe into the club's spying practices involving 3 matches successful the 2025-26 season.

But helium besides doubled down connected his erstwhile claims that spying is communal signifier successful Germany and Italy, wherever helium worked earlier joining Saints initially arsenic Under-21s manager past summer, and insisted that "none of what has happened made immoderate interaction connected sporting performance".

In an exclusive interrogation with BBC Sport, Southampton proprietor Dragan Solak said his program is to let Eckert to stay successful his job, contempt the contention and harm done to the club's reputation.

The determination whitethorn yet beryllium taken retired of Solak's hands, with the Football Association presently investigating Eckert's conduct. If helium is charged and recovered guilty, helium could beryllium punished with a prohibition that prevents him from moving successful English football.

But if the prime remains Southampton's, should Eckert truly beryllium fixed a reprieve?

Since Eckert took complaint pursuing the sacking of erstwhile manager Will Still past autumn, nary squad successful the Championship earned much points than Southampton, who besides reached the FA Cup semi-finals and lone missed retired connected a spot successful the last owing to a precocious comeback from Manchester City.

But the statement implicit whether oregon not to support Eckert goes acold beyond his quality arsenic a coach.

"A batch of radical are divided - the fans and I deliberation radical wrong the nine too," says Jo Tessem, a erstwhile midfielder who made 130 appearances for the club.

"People's kids are wearing Saints shirts to play and having 'cheat' shouted astatine them. That's superior and it truly hurts people. There is simply a batch of rebuilding to bash to get that statement gone.

"If I were a subordinate present I would beryllium highly disappointed and aggravated with the nine and the staff. How bash you crook that around? I haven't got an reply to that.

"Dragan has said what helium wants to do. Now the nine has to merchantability [keeping Eckert] arsenic an thought and effort to physique bridges.

"I deliberation it needs to beryllium tidied up arsenic rapidly arsenic possible. We request to beryllium capable to determination forward."

Were Eckert to beryllium successful the dugout erstwhile Saints footwear disconnected their 2026-27 run successful August, hampered by the four-point deduction which forms portion of their punishment from the EFL, past those successful the stands volition person to contend with the information that the antheral who some guided them into the play-offs and past outgo them their spot remains their leader.

Would dragging the ungraded into different play truly beryllium invited for fans?

"Southampton spot Eckert arsenic an fantabulous young manager," says Steve Grant, co-host of the Total Saints instrumentality podcast.

"While this worldly has happened, from their position I deliberation it would beryllium foolish to propulsion the babe retired with the bathwater.

"There is simply a existent divided betwixt radical saying 'let's not overreact, we've got a truly bully manager' and the other broadside taking the moralistic presumption and saying, 'we've been caught cheating and helium has gone beyond the enactment of acceptability'.

"Keeping him would beryllium a large risk. But shot fans are precise fickle and if helium wins a fewer games astatine the commencement of adjacent play past radical volition hide astir this."

For those associated with the club, the tendency to ticker a palmy squad adjacent play is blended with a request to shingle disconnected the harm Eckert's actions person caused.

One of the much egregious conclusions drawn by the EFL probe into Southampton's practices was that the young expert intern who was caught spying extracurricular Middlesbrough's grooming crushed had raised concerns astir the task helium was given, but was enactment "under utmost pressure" to transportation it retired by much elder personnel, including Eckert.

In galore workplaces, a elder unit subordinate pressuring a inferior workfellow into performing a task which violates manufacture rules would beryllium met with a swift and important punishment.

But Solak told BBC Sport that the intern was astatine responsibility for not kicking up much of a fuss, saying: "I judge that our inferior intern felt personally it's wrong, and helium didn't consciousness close for doing this, and I deliberation helium should person expressed that stronger."

Solak insisted helium has subsequently offered the intern expert a full-time occupation with the club.

But the attraction of a young, inexperienced subordinate of unit has raised concerns astir the club's culture.

"The nine has lacked successful presumption of starring connected the problem, and sorting retired their ain mess," Tessem adds.

"I anticipation they person each learned a precise harsh lesson. When you've been caught reddish handed, you request to instrumentality work for the situation."

If Southampton bash negociate to support Eckert successful his job, past the question of whether the nine truly has learned that acquisition volition proceed to beryllium asked.