Portsmouth name-dropped in new Tonda Eckert hearing claim as Southampton await FA decision | OneFootball

Keith Wyness believes the upcoming clash between Southampton and Portsmouth could impact Tonda Eckert's FA hearing

Former Aston Villa and Everton CEO Keith Wyness has claimed that the upcoming Southampton and Portsmouth clash could impact the Football Association's decision regarding Tonda Eckert.

The German is set for a hearing later this week to draw the FA’s investigation of the spying scandal to a close.

The 33-year-old is facing the threat of a ban from football after being charged earlier this year for his role in the incident.

The Saints were expelled from the play-offs, and received a four-point deduction penalty for this season after being found guilty of breaching the EFL’s rules relating to spying on opposition teams.

The Hampshire outfit admitted to spying on three sides, including play-off semi-final opponents Middlesbrough.

Marcelo Bielsa previously was in charge of Leeds United when they were caught spying on Derby County’s training session, but he received no ban from football for his role in the incident.

Keith Wyness highlights Portsmouth factor in Tonda Eckert case

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Wyness believes that Southampton have already received enough of a punishment, and that the FA will be lenient on Eckert, with a touchline ban the most likely outcome at this stage.

He’s highlighted the upcoming clash against bitter rivals Portsmouth as one game he will be absent for under these terms, which he suggested will create enough headlines for the FA as it is.

"I think what's going to happen is he's going to get somewhere between a two and a four-game ban and a fine," said Wyness, via Football Insider.

"I think the mitigating factor for the fine will be the way that he knew about this and directed it to a degree as well.

“I think this will come out on the lenient side of the number of games.

"I think the FA might rely on the fact that they've got Portsmouth coming up, which, of course, is the big local derby on the South Coast.

“So the FA might think, well, hang on, we're penalising Southampton for a big derby game and that will get a headline for us as well.

"I'm really firmly in the camp that I think the club have been penalised too much already. It was a huge penalty.

“One of the biggest penalties I've seen in modern sport, never mind football.

"I think that if it is two to four games, then everybody can live with that.

“He won't lose his job, things will carry on, and I want this swept under the carpet once and for all.

“Let's move on."

Leeds were handed a £200,000 fine for the incident with the Rams in 2019, with the teams eventually meeting in the play-offs later that season.

However, Bev Priestman received a one-year ban from football from FIFA following a spying incident involving Canada and New Zealand at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

It remains to be seen whether Eckert will be banned from football, or potentially receive a touchline ban, but an outcome should be determined during this international break.

Southampton’s start to the season

Southampton started bottom of the table with minus four points, but have climbed to 13th after the opening eight fixtures.

The Saints have 10 points, having won four, drawn two and lost two, and are seven behind leaders Swansea City.

Eckert oversaw the team’s rise from the bottom half of the Championship to fourth in the table in 2025/26, but the spying scandal led to their expulsion from the play-offs.

Next up for Southampton is that south coast derby clash against Portsmouth on 11 October in a 12pm kick-off.

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Touchline ban would be a fair outcome for Tonda Eckert

A ban from football would be an extreme punishment for the FA to hand out to Eckert, particularly for an incident in which the club were already punished heavily.

Southampton and Middlesbrough have, for the most part, moved on from the incident, and everyone is now ready to put it behind them.

A touchline ban between two to six games would be a fair outcome, as it would show that the FA take this seriously, but that the EFL already dealt with the matter properly in the summer.

It would also be a huge shift for Southampton’s season to have to replace Eckert if he is banned, and that would be another punishment for the club on top of what they’ve already faced.