Southampton:Tonda Eckert will continue as head coach of Southampton after receiving a suspended six-week ban for his involvement in the Spygate scandal.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Football Association announced that an independent Regulatory Commission imposed the sanction on Eckert, who admitted to three breaches of misconduct rules. The 33-year-old coach was fined £28,000 ($37,000), and his suspension from football-related activities is deferred until the end of the 2027-28 season. The ban will be activated only if he commits a similar offense before then.

Eckert's charges were connected to the surveillance of training sessions of Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough prior to Southampton's matches against these teams from December 2025 to May 2026. As a consequence of the scandal, Southampton was expelled from the previous season's Championship promotion playoffs and faced a four-point deduction for the current season by the English Football League.

Southampton expressed approval of the FA's decision, hoping it would close a difficult chapter in the club's history. Club owner Dragan Solak stated that the manager had learned from the incident and that the suspended sentence would allow Eckert to continue leading the team. Solak praised Eckert as one of Europe's promising young coaches and expressed confidence in his ability to guide the team to a successful season.