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Southampton’s Tonda Eckert Avoids Ban After Spygate Fine

By Reuters

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has been fined £28,000 ($37,000) and given a reprimand by the English Football Association (FA) for his role in the “spygate” scandal, but he will not receive a ban and can continue in his role with the club. The FA announced a suspended ban that will take effect only if Eckert is found to have breached rules by requesting, authorising, taking, or using information from any observation of another club’s training. The sanction is suspended until the end of the 2027‑28 season. Eckert, 33, accepted full responsibility and was charged with misconduct. He attended an FA hearing at the start of the current international break. The decision allows him to remain in charge as Southampton prepares to face Portsmouth on Sunday. Southampton said the outcome brings a “regrettable period of our history to a conclusion” and that measures have been put in place to prevent similar errors. Club owner Dragan Solak expressed relief that the panel had reached a decision and that the suspended sentence allows Eckert to continue. Eckert was appointed permanent Southampton boss in December 2025 and led the club to fourth place in the Championship after a poor start to the season.