"For everything that has happened, I do want to apologise and I hold my hand up because as head coach I am responsible." Tonda Eckert said the quiet part loud — and then his owner backed him anyway.
The Southampton head coach released a lengthy video statement on Monday taking full personal responsibility for the Spygate scandal that got the club thrown out of the Championship play-offs. Saints were found guilty by the EFL of sending an intern to spy on Middlesbrough training sessions, with the governing body confirming Eckert personally authorised the operation. Spying on Ipswich and Oxford during the regular season was also part of the verdict.
The WhatsApp message that probably sealed Eckert's fate in the EFL's eyes — an analyst texting the intern "You legend. Manager loved it" — told the story more clearly than any written judgement could.
The cultural defence only goes so far
Eckert, 33 and German, leaned on context rather than excuses. He pointed to Italy, where he spent four years and where pre-match line-ups routinely leaked because opposition staff watched training freely. He cited Guardiola's comments about the same being common practice in Germany. "I don't want to say this to excuse anything," he said. "I just want to give you context."
It's a fair point — up to a point. Watching an open training session is a grey area in many countries. Pressuring a junior member of staff to do it for you, and then messaging them to say the manager "loved it," is something different. The EFL called it "deplorable" specifically because of how the intern was put in that position.
What it actually costs Southampton
The numbers are the real punishment here. Expulsion from the play-offs meant missing the Wembley final — and the near £200 million that Premier League promotion brings. Boro, the side they beat over two legs in the semi-final, took their place. A four-point deduction heading into next season adds further drag on their promotion push before a ball has been kicked.
Owner Dragan Solak made his position clear before Eckert even finished speaking: "Tonda's period as our head coach has been a success so far. Our form during 2026 has been remarkable and we believe he is the man to take us forward." Saints keep their coach. They still don't have a Premier League place. And the FA has now opened its own separate investigation into the matter — meaning this story isn't close to finished.
