Southampton fear what could happen to Tonda Eckert after Thursday’s FA hearing | OneFootball

Southampton are concerned about the Tonda Eckert case as FA conclusion nears

Southampton are concerned that Tonda Eckert could receive a ban from all football activity for three or more months ahead of his hearing with the Football Association on Thursday.

According to the Daily Echo, the Saints aren’t sure what to expect when the German meets with the FA after he was charged for his role in the spying scandal that enveloped the end of the previous campaign.

The Hampshire outfit were found guilty of breaching the EFL’s rules relating to spying on opposition teams, which led to their expulsion from the play-offs.

The club were also handed a four point deduction penalty for this season, and the FA have also gotten involved.

Eckert was part of a four hour interview back in July as part of their investigation into the matter, and he is now at risk of being handed a significant individual penalty for his role in everything.

Southampton admitted to three cases of spying on opposition teams, including ahead of their play-off semi-final clash against Middlesbrough.

Southampton fear Tonda Eckert punishment

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It’s believed that Southampton are concerned that Eckert will receive a three month or more ban from all football activity from the FA.

And it’s understood that they could pass the case onto FIFA, who will have the power to apply the sanction internationally.

The Saints are unsure of what to expect from Thursday’s hearing, with it not guaranteed that an outcome will be delivered immediately.

The FA officially charged Eckert over two months ago, but the club and coach are still waiting for the conclusion of the case.

If he receives a ban and it is applied internationally, it would prevent Eckert from being able to find a job elsewhere.

Owner Dragan Solak has indicated that he will appeal any ban from football, but the 33-year-old may not be able to continue on as head coach even as an appeal process goes on.

How Southampton fans feel about possible Tonda Eckert ban

Some Southampton fans have claimed that the club should move on from Eckert if he is banned, instead of appealing the decision.

The Saints have been told that the club is bigger than any one individual, and that they should just deal with him being unavailable if he is banned.

But some Southampton supporters are confident that he could sit out three months and come back with, with an assistant taking his place in the meantime.

Fans are optimistic that the German coach could come back in December if it is a three month ban, and that the team could manage fine without him for that period.

Next up for Southampton is a home clash against bitter rivals Portsmouth on 11 October.

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Three month ban would be manageable for Southampton

If Eckert won’t be able to seek work elsewhere, and Southampton want to stick with him, then it should be possible to manage a three month ban.

Any longer and the club may want to find a replacement, but they could likely get by until December with just an assistant in charge.

Solak has made it clear that he wants to stay loyal to Eckert, despite the scandal ending their hopes of promotion last season.

It would not be ideal to be without a head coach for any length of time, and a ban would be a harsh punishment, but three months would be something the club could handle.