Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the Football Association.
Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-off final in May after admitting to spying on other clubs, with Middlesbrough — who they defeated in the semi-finals — reinstated.
Other teams included Oxford United and Ipswich Town. Southampton were additionally given a four-point deduction that applies to the upcoming season in the Championship.
However, the FA also launched an investigation into head coach Eckert, and whether the German breached FA Rule E3.1, which centres on bringing the game into disrepute. The rule mandates for “all participants to act in the best interests of the game at all times”.
Incriminating WhatsApp messages from Eckert to the club’s analysts were revealed during the hearing to decide Southampton’s fate. The Athletic reported at the time that sources with knowledge of proceedings, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, said these were particularly damaging to Southampton’s case.
Two of the analysts gave evidence at the hearing in which they expressed remorse for their actions but said they were pushed into the spying trips. In his evidence, Eckert — who has spent most of his coaching career in Germany — claimed he was not aware that such behaviour was against the rules in England as it was widespread in European football.
Eckert was interviewed again earlier this month after the process was initially delayed, with Southampton’s head coach back in Germany and recently becoming a father. He was interviewed in London during a process which lasted two days and several hours.
Eckert has now been charged by the FA with bringing the game into disrepute in three cases (Middlesbrough, Oxford and Ipswich) and will have seven days to respond. The worst-case scenario is Eckert receives a ban, prohibiting him from coaching. Although sources close to Eckert and Southampton — speaking on the condition of anonymity — believe this is unlikely, there is a precedent for this.
At the 2024 Olympic Games, Canada used a drone to spy on New Zealand, their opponents in the women’s football group stages. In that case, Canada lost six points, while their coach, Bev Priestman, along with analyst Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander, were handed a one-year ban from football by FIFA.
