- Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has been fined £28,000 and handed a suspended six-week ban by the Football Association following an investigation into the spygate scandal.
- The suspension will remain suspended until the end of the 2027/28 season, allowing Eckert to continue in his role as long as no further spying-related offences occur.
- The club was previously expelled from last season's Championship play-offs—denying them a potential £200m promotion to the Premier League—and received a four-point deduction for the current campaign from the EFL.
- Eckert admitted sending staff to monitor training sessions at Oxford, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough, claiming he was unaware it breached EFL regulations, though the panel noted younger staff felt pressured to carry out the plan.
- Southampton owner Dragan Solak welcomed the outcome of the FA hearing and backed Eckert to lead the team forward, while strongly criticising the EFL's handling of the situation.
IN FULL
Southampton manager Tonda Eckert escapes serious punishment for spygate scandal
