Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert is set to keep his job despite being at the centre of the Championship Spygate scandal, with owner Dragan Solak vowing to back the German and calling media coverage a ‘witch hunt’
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert (left) and Middlesbrough’s Kim Hellberg(Image: Getty Images)
Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert looks set to retain his position despite overseeing a spying operation targeting Championship clubs, including Middlesbrough.
The Saints manager was found to have masterminded a scheme to spy on Boro ahead of their play-off semi-final, which ultimately resulted in the South Coast club being thrown out of the competition after an independent panel found them guilty of breaching EFL regulations.
Boro were reinstated into the Wembley final, having lost the two-legged semi-final via a late goal, but were beaten at the national stadium by Hull City.
As a result, they will begin the new season in the Championship, alongside Southampton, who were also docked four points after admitting to spying on Oxford and Ipswich Town. Despite this, Eckert is expected to keep his role after owner Dragan Solak confirmed he would not dismiss the German coach.
“I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him,” the Serbian businessman told BBC Sport. “My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he’s a super-talented manager,” reports Teesside Live.
Eckert was appointed Southampton’s permanent head coach in December following a brief stint as caretaker manager. He steered the club away from a relegation battle and guided them into the promotion play-offs after a fourth-place finish, on the back of an impressive run of form.
However, everything unravelled in the wake of Spygate, after an intern was spotted observing Boro’s training session, with the League Arbitration Panel’s written reasons published on Monday. The 39-page document exposed the influence of Saints head coach Tonda Eckert, describing it as “a contrived and determined plan from top down to gain a competitive advantage”.
It went on to state: “These junior members of staff felt compelled to do what they were very uncomfortable doing because they considered their jobs would otherwise be at risk.”
The written reasons revealed that junior staff felt “pressurised to do the observations that Mr Eckert and the senior coaches wished them to do”.
Eckert was reported to be “surprised” upon discovering that EFL regulations banned the practice, maintaining that it was commonplace overseas.
“I believe Tonda that he didn’t know that it was the rule that he was breaking,” said Solak, whose media company acquired a majority stake of the club in 2022.
“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.
“In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about.”
Nevertheless, Solak confirmed he had also issued Eckert with a stern warning. “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.”
Eckert could yet face a ban with the Football Association currently investigating the scandal, but Solak has pledged to stand by his manager, dismissing the situation as a ‘media witch hunt’.
“I can support him even if he’s banned, but I can’t make him manage if he’s banned,” the Saints owner added. “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.
“I’m pretty sure if the FA decides to ban him, he will get a triple better-paid job in Italy or Germany.” Southampton have also raised concerns over the impartiality of the EFL’s disciplinary commission that presided over their Spygate case, according to the club’s most recent statement on the issue.