Tonda Eckert got away with a fine and reprimand, but avoided the ban and will continue in his role at the club.
Published on October 8, 2026
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has escaped major punishment for his role in the so-called “Spygate” scandal after the English Football Association (FA) announced a suspended ban.
Eckert was fined 28,000 British pounds ($37,000) and reprimanded but avoided a lengthy ban in Wednesday’s announcement, and he is free to continue in his role at the English Championship club.
The Saints were kicked out of last season’s Championship play-off final and have been docked four points in the current campaign after admitting three breaches of English Football League (EFL) regulations after being caught snooping on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough and two other teams.
An EFL independent disciplinary committee ruled in May that Eckert “specifically authorized” the spying, throwing his future at the English second-tier club into doubt.
The 33-year-old accepted full responsibility and was charged with misconduct by the FA.
The German coach attended an FA hearing at the start of the current international break. The result means he can continue in his role against rivals Portsmouth on Sunday.
“Tonda Eckert subsequently admitted the charge, and an independent regulatory commission imposed a six-week suspension from all football and football-related activities until the end of the 2027-2028 season, a fine of £28,000 and a reprimand following a hearing,” the FA said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The suspended sanction will come into effect in the event that he is found to have committed a violation of rules or regulations by requesting, authorizing, taking or using information from an observation of the training of another club, in whatever guise that observation may take.”
Southampton said in a statement that this brings a “regrettable period of our history to a close”.
The club, who sit 13th in the Championship, said that “measures are being put in place to ensure that such errors of judgment never happen again at our club”.
Southampton owner Dragan Solak said: “I am pleased that the independent panel has come to a decision and that we have a result.
“We have already suffered enough, and we appreciate the panel’s recognition of that.
“We are confident that the manager has learned from this matter, and a suspended sentence will allow him to continue in his role.”
Eckert was appointed permanent Southampton boss in December 2025, leading the club to fourth place in the Championship table after a poor start to the season.