Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has issued a public video apology to fans following the Spygate scandal that saw the club expelled from the Championship play-offs.
In the video, published by the club’s in-house media team on Tuesday, the 33-year-old said he hoped supporters would “understand and forgive” him over the controversy.
Eckert stated he took “full responsibility” for charges Southampton admitted during the EFL’s investigation into spying practices across three matches in the 2025-26 season.
However, he also reiterated his claim that such practices are common in Germany and Italy, countries where he worked prior to joining Saints as Under-21s manager last summer.
He further insisted that “none of what has happened made any impact on sporting performance,” doubling down on a position he had previously stated publicly.
Southampton owner Dragan Solak has confirmed in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport that he intends to allow Eckert to remain in charge of the club despite the reputational damage caused.
The Football Association is currently investigating Eckert’s conduct, and if found guilty, he could face a ban from working in English football, potentially removing the choice from Solak entirely.
Former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem, who made 130 appearances for the club, acknowledged the deep divisions the scandal has created among supporters and those connected to Southampton.
“People’s kids are wearing Saints shirts to play and having ‘cheat’ shouted at them,” Tessem said, adding that there is “a lot of rebuilding to do to get that label gone.”
Tessem also questioned how the club could recover internally, saying: “If I were a player now I would be extremely disappointed and angry with the club and the staff.”
Since taking charge following the sacking of Will Still last autumn, no Championship club earned more points than Southampton under Eckert, who also guided the side to the FA Cup semi-finals.
Steve Grant, co-host of the Total Saints fan podcast, acknowledged that Southampton view Eckert as a strong young manager but warned that retaining him carries considerable risk.
“Keeping him would be a big risk,” Grant said, “but football fans are very fickle and if he wins a few games at the start of next season then people will forget about this.”
One particularly damaging finding from the EFL investigation was that a young analyst intern raised concerns about being asked to spy outside Middlesbrough’s training ground but was placed “under extreme pressure” by senior personnel, including Eckert, to carry out the task.
Solak controversially suggested the intern bore some responsibility, telling BBC Sport: “I believe that our junior intern felt personally it’s wrong, and he didn’t feel right for doing this, and I think he should have expressed that stronger.”
Solak did confirm that the intern has since been offered a full-time position at the club, though concerns about the organisation’s culture remain widespread.
Tessem expressed frustration at how the club has handled the fallout, saying: “The club has lacked in terms of leading on the problem, and sorting out their own mess.”
If Eckert is still in the dugout when the 2026-27 season begins in August, Saints will also carry a four-point deduction as part of their EFL punishment into the new campaign.
Whether Southampton have truly absorbed the consequences of the scandal, as Tessem put it, will continue to be questioned as long as Eckert remains the man in charge.
