Southampton's Tonda Eckert sends clear FA plea as Spygate hearing looms | OneFootball

Saints boss Tonda Eckert is braced for his imminent hearing with the FA.

It has been a long time coming but Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert is finally set to learn his fate from the FA following the Spygate saga.

In May, the Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs after the club were found guilty of spying on Middlesbrough's training session ahead of their clash, with it later emerging that the South Coasters had also observed Ipswich Town and Oxford United's training sessions earlier in the season.

Southampton were then docked four points for the 2026/27 Championship campaign, but have started strongly and would be in the play-off places if it were not for the deduction.

Now, there has been an important update on when Eckert will face an FA hearing as he awaits the outcome of his three charges.

Tonda Eckert set to face FA hearing imminently

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Southampton were hopeful that a final decision would be made regarding the Football Association’s charge against Eckert during the September international break, and now it seems that they will be getting their wish.

BBC Radio Solent has reported that it understands the German will face an FA hearing later this week over Spygate.

The publication adds that the 33-year-old could be banned, although it is not known what that punishment could be and for how long it could last.

"I've had the chance to sit down and just talk the FA through everything that happened," Eckert told BBC Radio Solent.

"And now it's up to them to make a decision. I don't really have any emotions towards that."

What punishment could Eckert face?

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While Southampton have already been published, the FA's decision will take into account Eckert's actions, and he is likely to face a separate punishment.

The FA charges are under E3.1, concerning improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute and punishments could range from a touchline ban to a wider football suspension.

A touchline ban would prevent Eckert from being in the technical area on matchdays for a specified number of games and would mean assistant Ben Garner would likely take charge in the dugout with the German watching in the stands.

This would not prevent the German from going about his day-to-day responsibilities, and he could still take training as well as his managerial duties.

However, a wider football suspension would be far more severe as it would mean that the 33-year-old could be prevented from carrying out football-management activities altogether.

Canada women's coach Bev Priestman received a 12-month ban from all football-related activities from FIFA after she was found to have been involved with the use of a drone to spy on New Zealand's training at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Of course, this is a different football body and a different set of events, but it could provide some inkling about the punishment Eckert could face.

With the FA outcome imminent, one supporter clearly feels that the whole situation has been blown out of proportion.

One has pointed to a quote from Eckert that he believes is not working out well for the German.

Another fan has stated that the Saints should have referenced former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa's actions.

Finally, one supporter does not believe that the club's attempts to address the media will have any sway on the outcome.