Simon Jordan makes new Tonda Eckert ban prediction after Southampton Spying scandal | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert is currently the subject of an FA investigation due to his role in the Southampton spying scandal

Southampton are preparing for another season in the Championship after being expelled from the play-offs in the previous campaign.

The Saints earned a place in the final after knocking out Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

However, the club were found guilty of breaching the EFL’s rules against spying on opposition teams, which led to their expulsion.

Tonda Eckert had led the Hampshire outfit to a fourth place finish in the table, with a 19-game unbeaten run bringing them into promotion contention.

But now the German coach’s future is uncertain amid an investigation being conducted by the Football Association regarding the spying scandal.

The 33-year-old is facing the threat of a ban, with FIFA previously sanctioning the former Canada women’s team coach Ben Priestman with a 12-month suspension for spying on opposition training at the 2024 Olympics.

Simon Jordan makes Tonda Eckert ban claim

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Simon Jordan has dismissed the idea that Eckert will receive a ban from the FA for his role in the spying scandal, suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa’s formal warning from 2019 is a far more likely precedent that will be used in this case.

The former Leeds United boss was given a slap on the wrist when the Yorkshire outfit were caught spying on Derby County, and that only the FA wanting to make headlines for themselves could lead to a different outcome on this occasion.

“So where have we got that then? This idea that he’s going to get a 12 month ban, because the last person that got dealt with was Bielsa, and all he got was a formal warning from the FA,” said Jordan, via Talksport.

“Now we know the EFL have ramped up the consequences because it was a play-off circumstance, and they took a ridiculous decision in my view, to go to the extremes they went to.

“You go from the Leeds situation, £200,000 fine, to removing somebody from potentially winning the biggest game in English football.

“They made their decision.

“So if the FA want to make headlines for themselves, and add value to what they feel that their reputation is going to be burdened by, then they’ll do something ridiculous.”

Jordan is adamant that Southampton will stick with Eckert, and that he will not be banned from football at all, suggesting that expelling the club from the play-offs was not a proportionate punishment for the crime they committed in the first place.

“I’d be amazed if they do that, and of course what will happen is that Southampton will appeal it,” he added.

“They were not going to fire the manager, what was the point of firing the manager when they’ve already been sanctioned?

“They actually feel the manager is a very capable manager.

“[I didn’t feel Southampton were going to be removed from the play-offs] and I thought it was a massively, massively disproportionate sanction.”

“Anyone who knows anything about football knows the game is littered with people trying to take liberties, and if you think he’s the only person who's done this, then you’re away with yourself.

“He’s someone who has got caught.

“And all of a sudden the game is holier than thou, full of pious observations.

“I understand you’ve got to protect the values of the game, but the only people who really believe it was effective was the coaching staff that did it.

“But, anyway, do I think he’s going to get banned for 12 months? I doubt it.”

Southampton have already added the likes of Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz to the first team squad this summer, with the pair both signing permanent deals after initially spending time on loan at St. Mary’s earlier this year.

And Lewis Dobbin has become the latest addition to the Saints, signing a four year deal as part of a move from Aston Villa.

The forward contributed 10 goals and eight assists while on loan at Preston North End last season.

Southampton will be hoping he can help the Hampshire outfit in their bid to win promotion to the Premier League in 2027.

Eckert’s side will begin their new Championship campaign on 16 August with a trip to face Watford at Vicarage Road.

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Tonda Ecket reprieve would be huge for Southampton

It seemed inevitable that Eckert would leave Southampton in the aftermath of the spying scandal, particularly as it was difficult to foresee the players wanting him to stay.

But he is now overseeing pre-season, and the relationship between him and the squad seems intact, so avoiding a ban would be a massive reprieve for the club.

It’s difficult to say how much Southampton are really getting when spying on opposition training, but it likely isn’t much, so Eckert certainly deserves a lot of credit for the work in turning things around.

He is still a highly-rated young coach, so being able to keep him around for next season will help their promotion push.