Southampton won’t sack boss Tonda Eckert despite Spygate scandal | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert won’t be sacked amid the Spygate scandal says Southampton owner Dragan Solak but has warned the head coach that he will not accept another mistake of a similar ilk.

Southampton were kicked out of the Championship play-off final last month for spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, in contravention of EFL rules. Saints admitted guilt but appealed the severity of the punishment, which also included a four-point deduction for next season, although that appeal was dismissed.

The League Arbitration Panel’s written reasons were published on Monday and laid bare the influence of Eckert throughout the saga, stating that it had been “a contrived and determined plan from top down to gain a competitive advantage”.

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Tonda Eckert is set to remain as Southampton boss (Reuters)

A junior analyst at the club claimed he “didn’t really have an option” but to spy on Southampton’s opponents and that the proposals of 33-year-old German Eckert had placed him “under extreme pressure” to carry out a task he was uncomfortable with and felt was morally wrong.

Eckert was said to be “surprised” to learn that EFL regulations prohibited the practice and Solak has accepted this explanation, while backing his under-fire boss.

“I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him,” Solak told BBC Sport in an interview. “My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he’s a super-talented manager.

“I believe Tonda that he didn’t know that it was the rule that he was breaking. My personal opinion, and the opinion of the board, is that he is a manager who deserves to be backed by us and to be supported by us.

“I will obviously seek advice from the team. I will seek advice from the players, from the fans. But yes, if it’s ultimately my decision, he stays.”

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Southampton owner Dragan Solak is sticking by his man (PA)

The media company of Solak acquired a majority stake of Southampton in 2022 and the Serbian businessman made clear his future expectations to Eckert.

“In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about,” added Solak.

“But I told him: ‘You almost broke my heart. You do it again, you’ll kill me. The next time I see you in July, if you don’t know the EFL book of rules by heart, you can’t work for me. Because, we can’t have another mistake.’

“I truly hope that he will learn from this experience and he will achieve an incredible career.”

In addition to spying on Middlesbrough, Saints also admitted to the charges of spying on Oxford and Ipswich training sessions earlier in the season, ahead of matches against those clubs.

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Opposition fans mocked Southampton after the spying charges (PA Wire)

Eckert may not be out of the woods yet, with the FA now investigating the scandal and having the potential to ban the Southampton boss.

However, Solak is adamant he would still stick by his man, even in that instance.

The owner added: “I can support him even if he’s banned, but I can’t make him manage if he’s banned. My support comes from a very simple legal situation where there is no double jeopardy.

“Whatever crime you did, you can be sentenced only once. I think we were ‘over-sentenced’. The punishment that the club received was severe and completely disproportionate to the mistake that we made. We lost our chance to win £200m.

“But if they’re going to go again and then double that with [a] ban, we might appeal. But he will have my support through the process. But if he’s banned, he’s banned. I mean, I can’t put somebody to manage the club if he is not allowed.

"I’m looking at him as a young, extremely talented manager – the guy who took our club when we were 21st in the table and brought us almost to direct promotion. I am amazed that Tonda is willing to come back in this hostile environment after the witch hunt he had in the media.”

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Eckert appears tot have unwavering support from Solak (PA)

On Tuesday morning, Southampton posted an eight-minute video on social media of Eckert apologising to fans, players and staff at the club and admitting that the situation hurt him.

“For everything that has happened, I do want to apologise,” says Eckert. “I do hold my hand up because as head coach, I am responsible for everything that has happened at this football club. I am responsible for everything that has happened with my coaching staff.

“I apologise to the players who have done everything they can in the last six months to bring his football club back to where it belongs. They would have deserved to play the final with you [the fans].

“It hurts and it hurts to see the employees of the football club, it hurts to see the staff, it hurts to see the players who have invested so much.”

It has been reported that some of Southampton’s players want to leave the club and may consider legal action over lost promotion bonuses.

Solak added: “Honestly, it’s on them to decide. I had a very open conversation with them, and they were actually very nice. And you could see that they are hurting. But through that, they still behaved as gentlemen. You go through things, but life is fair.

“If you are a player of Southampton that really has quality to play in Premier League, I’m pretty sure you’ll play in Premier League this season or the next.”