Soccer-Southampton owner won't sack manager Eckert despite his role in 'Spygate'

Southampton owner Dragan Solak said he will not sack ​manager Tonda Eckert over his involvement in ​the 'Spygate' saga which saw the club ‌kicked out ​of last month's Championship playoff final. Southampton were expelled from the final, known as the richest game in football due to the riches of ‌the Premier League that await the winner, after acknowledging they observed opponents' training sessions within 72 hours of matches.

An Independent Disciplinary Commission said Eckert had admitted to signing off on the plan. "I think he deserves a ‌second chance and I would give it to him. My full support would be behind him ‌actually, because I think he's a super-talented manager," Solak told the BBC in an interview published on Tuesday.

"I believe Tonda that he didn't know that it was the rule that he was breaking. 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."

Eckert issued an apology on Tuesday in a video posted to Southampton's social media. He said ⁠it was common practice in other leagues he had worked in to observe training sessions. "There are different rules from the EFL ⁠and ​I should have known them... I am a young coach," he said. "I have made a mistake, and I take full responsibility."

Serbian billionaire Solak, who took over Southampton in 2022, said he had ⁠delivered a warning to Eckert about his future conduct. "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'," he added.

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