Dragan Solak backs Eckert after Southampton spying scandal

dragan solak said Tonda Eckert will keep his job at Southampton after the club's spying scandal, backing the head coach despite the fallout from the punishment already handed down. Solak said Eckert deserves a second chance and that his full support would stay behind him.

Solak said, "If it's ultimately my decision, he stays." The owner also said, "I can support him even if he's banned, but I can't make him manage if he's banned." Southampton were expelled from the Championship promotion play-offs and deducted four points for the 2026-27 season after admitting observing opponents' training sessions.

Southampton and Eckert

Eckert, 33, was appointed on a permanent basis in December after a short spell as caretaker boss. He guided Southampton to safety and then to the Championship promotion play-offs after a fourth-place finish, which made the club's punishment more damaging than a routine disciplinary penalty.

An independent disciplinary commission said Eckert accepted he had orchestrated a contrived and determined plan from the top down. A junior member of staff claimed that Eckert's proposals had placed them under extreme pressure to carry out a task they were uncomfortable with and felt was morally wrong.

Oxford United and Ipswich Town

Southampton admitted to charges of spying on Oxford United and Ipswich Town in the regular season, and also admitted to spying on Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final. Details emerged after the publication of the written reasons of an arbitration panel appointed to hear Southampton's appeal against their punishment.

Solak said he believed Eckert did not know he was breaking the rules, adding, "I believe Tonda that he didn't know that it was the rule that he was breaking," and, "In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about." He also said Southampton lost their chance to win £200m and described the punishment as severe and completely disproportionate to the mistake the club made.

Football Association probe

The Football Association is investigating the scandal and could decide to charge Eckert. Solak said, "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.'"

For Southampton, the immediate issue is no longer whether Eckert survives the scandal but whether the Football Association adds fresh punishment. Solak has already made his position plain; the next shift will come if the investigation turns from scrutiny to charges.