What Dragan Solak will do if Southampton’s Tonda Eckert is banned by the FA | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert is facing a potential ban for his involvement in Southampton's spying scandal

Southampton are still dealing with the fallout of their expulsion from the play-offs for spying on rivals teams’ training sessions.

The Saints were competing for a place in the Premier League for next season, and were set to face Hull City in the final after beating Middlesbrough in the semis, but were removed from the competition.

Boro initially accused the Hampshire outfit of filming their pre-match training session prior to the first leg of their semi-final at the Riverside.

This led to a hearing in which Southampton admitted to three instances of spying on their opponents, including ahead of fixtures against Ipswich Town and Oxford United, resulting in immediate explusion from the play-offs and a four-point deduction for next term.

The Football Association have also opened an investigation into the scandal, which could lead to head coach Tonda Eckert being banned from football.

However, the Championship side are set to keep the 33-year-old in charge of the first team squad for the time being, with the club still waiting for an outcome from the FA’s investigation after deciding to retain their support of Eckert.

Dragan Solak makes Tonda Eckert ban claim

Southampton owner Dragan Solak has claimed that he will support Eckert even if he is banned from football by the FA, with an appeal likely, although he admitted that he couldn’t stay in charge as head coach.

He believes that the club were over-punished in the spying case, suggesting that the lost opportunity to compete for £200 million was not proportionate to the offence committed.

"I can support him even if he's banned, but I can't make him manage if he's banned," said Solak, via the BBC.

"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 £200 million.

"If they're going to go again and double that with a ban, we might appeal.

“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."

Eckert took charge of Southampton in November of last year following Will Still’s dismissal.

The 33-year-old was initially appointed on an interim basis, but an impressive start to life in the dugout led to his permanent appointment.

He earned a lot of credit as the team climbed the Championship table in the second half of the campaign, with a 19-game unbeaten run securing fourth.

Southampton also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, but a 2-1 loss to eventual winners Manchester City eliminated them from the tournament.

It remains to be seen whether Eckert will be banned from football for his involvement in the spying scandal.

Leaked messages have revealed the extent of his role in the operation, indicating it was done under his orders.

Southampton will be hoping for a swift resolution, as they will need to appoint a replacement pretty quickly if Eckert is banned from football.

The longer this drags on, the more of an impact it will have on the club's preparations for next season.

Southampton are taking a big risk in backing Tonda Eckert

Southampton are standing firmly behind Eckert, but they will have to drastically change course quite quickly if he receives a ban from football.

That could see him out of the sport for a year, or maybe more, so a new manager will have to be found for next season in that case.

There are also no doubt going to be fans and players who are hurt about the circumstances of their promotion hopes being dashed, and overcoming that will be a real challenge.

Solak has been a divisive figure at St. Mary’s, and this move will only further cement that reputation, and it could backfire quite easily on him if next season doesn’t start well.