Southampton owner Dragan Solak has confirmed he will not sack head coach Tonda Eckert following the club’s spying scandal that resulted in their expulsion from the Championship play-offs.
“I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him,” the Serbian businessman told BBC Sport, adding that his “full support” would be behind the manager.
Solak described Eckert as a “super-talented manager” and made clear that he intends to retain the 33-year-old German coach despite the significant controversy surrounding his conduct.
Eckert was appointed on a permanent basis in December after a short spell as caretaker, taking charge of a Southampton side embroiled in a relegation fight before guiding them to a fourth-place Championship finish.
An independent disciplinary commission found that Eckert had accepted he orchestrated what it described as a “contrived and determined plan from the top down” to spy on rival clubs’ training sessions.
Southampton admitted to spying on Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough, and were subsequently expelled from the play-offs and handed a four-point deduction for the 2026-27 season.
A junior member of staff claimed Eckert’s proposals had placed them “under extreme pressure” to carry out a task they were uncomfortable with and felt was morally wrong, details that emerged following the publication of an arbitration panel’s written reasons.
Solak said he believes Eckert was unaware he was breaching EFL regulations, and pointed to the fact that observing opponents’ training sessions is considered common practice in Italy and Germany, where the coach had previously worked.
Despite his support, Solak issued Eckert with a firm personal warning, saying: “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.'”
The Football Association is separately investigating the scandal and could yet decide to charge Eckert, a development that would create further complications for Southampton’s plans.
When asked what would happen if Eckert received an FA ban, Solak said: “I can support him even if he’s banned, but I can’t make him manage if he’s banned,” referencing his belief that the club had already been “over-sentenced.”
Solak argued the punishment was “completely disproportionate to the mistake that we made,” saying the club had lost their chance to win £200m as a result of being ejected from the competition.
He revealed he only learned of the spying plot when news broke on social media last month, stating: “I actually learned from X. I sent a message: ‘What the hell is this?'”
Regarding the analyst intern who was sent to observe opposition training sessions and was caught doing so at Middlesbrough, Solak said: “I have a lot of pity. I’m sorry for what he had to go through,” adding that the club had offered the staff member a prolonged contract.
It has been reported that some Southampton players are considering leaving the club and may even explore legal action over lost promotion bonuses, following the team’s ejection from the play-offs after beating Middlesbrough over two legs to reach the final.
Solak acknowledged the club’s initial response to Middlesbrough’s complaint had been “imperfect,” after Southampton initially denied capturing or analysing any video before later acknowledging that was not the case, a sequence the EFL Arbitration Panel described as a “mystery.”
Addressing Southampton’s supporters directly, Solak said: “As a club, we need to apologise to our fans,” adding: “Few people made a mistake, but the whole club suffers.”
He concluded by insisting his commitment to the club remains firm, saying: “My dedication to the club is not wavering at all. I think that out of all of this, we will become stronger.”
