Southampton owner backs Eckert to stay despite spying scandal

Southampton owner Dragan Solak said he will not sack head coach Tonda Eckert despite the spying campaign the German authorised against Championship clubs.

"I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him," Solak told BBC Sport. "My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he's a super-talented manager."

Eckert took over as caretaker and was given the permanent job in December while Southampton sat 21st in the table. He steered the club clear of relegation and into the play-offs with a fourth-place finish.

The club was later expelled from the play-offs and deducted four points for the 2026-27 season after admitting staff had watched training sessions of Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough. An independent commission found Eckert had run a "contrived and determined plan from the top down."

A junior staff member told the panel that Eckert's instructions had placed them "under extreme pressure" to carry out work they believed was morally wrong. Eckert said he was surprised to learn the practice breached EFL rules.

Solak said he believed Eckert did not know the rule. "In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about," he said.

Solak warned the coach that another breach would end his time at the club. "You almost broke my heart. You do it again, you'll kill me," he told Eckert. "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."

Solak said he learned of the spying only after it appeared on social media. He said even senior club staff thought the reports were a joke. He described the punishment as "ridiculous" and said the club had been "over-sentenced," losing a chance at £200 million in promotion revenue.

The Football Association is still investigating and could charge Eckert. Solak said he would continue to support the coach even if the FA imposed a ban, but he could not employ him if he were barred from working.

Solak also criticised the club's handling of the initial EFL inquiry, saying staff had only 12 hours to respond before a play-off match and gave incomplete answers. He said the club later supplied all information it had.

He said the club had offered the intern who was caught at Middlesbrough a new contract and wanted him to stay. Solak added that he had spoken to players about the lost promotion bonuses and that those with Premier League quality would still reach that level.

"I'm completely devastated," Solak said. "As a club, we need to apologise to our fans. They gave everything to us."

He said the episode had exposed "dysfunctions" inside the club and that Southampton would work to ensure no one felt pressured to break rules again.