Southampton manager Tonda Eckert finally sits down to talk about the spygate scandal for the first time.
Tonda Eckert has spoken out about the Spygate scandal for the first time, two weeks after Southampton were kicked out of the Championship play-offs for spying on opponents Middlesbrough.
Southampton was removed from the play-offs and given a four-point penalty for next season after admitting to spying on their rivals. Just before the final at Wembley, the Saints were charged with breaking EFL rules after Middlesbrough reported that one of Southampton’s staff secretly watched a training session before their semi-final first leg at the Riverside.
After an independent commission reviewed the case, an investigation was opened, and Middlesbrough was allowed back into the final. Southampton also admitted to rule breaches in matches against Oxford United and Ipswich Town. They appealed the punishments, but their request to rejoin the play-offs was denied by an independent panel.
It then came out that junior staff at Southampton told a disciplinary commission that manager Tonda Eckert pressured them “extremely” to secretly spy on other teams.
Now, Eckert has shared his thoughts in a long video posted on Southampton’s social media. He said, “When I worked in Italy for over four years, every starting line-up was always known before games because training sessions were often watched by opponents. Guardiola talked about this when he was at Bayern Munich. I’m not trying to excuse what happened, but in football where I come from, things are different. Here in England and the EFL, I should have known the rules better.”
He continued, “I’m a young coach and I made a mistake—I take full responsibility. I want to thank the board for their support during this tough time. I’m talking openly from the heart.”
Eckert added, “I hope you understand what has happened and maybe, over time, you can forgive me. I want to apologise to the players, the fans, and everyone affected. The players gave everything for this club and deserved to play the final with you all, like they did two years ago and in the semis against Man City.”
He went on to apologise to the staff and fans who have supported the team through many matches, sharing the highs and lows of the season. “It hurts to see the pain this caused to our players, staff, and their families. I am sorry to the other clubs involved and especially to our supporters.”
Eckert explained more about the incidents, sharing that before the Oxford game, they sent someone to watch training because Oxford had changed their manager and might have changed their formation. For the Ipswich game, footage was shown to him just before the match, and he immediately asked for it to stop because it didn’t affect how they played.
Regarding Middlesbrough, the staff wanted to know if player Hayden Hackney would be fit, so they sent someone to observe a training session early in the week. By Wednesday, they had set the team line-up and tactics. Eckert stressed that none of this spying changed how they prepared or played.
He said, “I want to be honest and clear. The players made all the difference in every game, giving up so much in their personal lives to help get this club back to the Premier League.”
Closing his message, Eckert said, “I’m young, I made a mistake, and I accept full responsibility. Thanks again to Dragan and the board for their support. I hope you understand what really happened, and with time, you can forgive me. I hope to see you all soon.”