Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterSouthampton will be playing Championship football next season despite going unbeaten in the 2025/26 play-offs.The blame for this rests squarely upon the shoulders of first-team head coach Tonda Eckert, who, I must preface, should be applauded for fronting up to the criticism that has fallen at his door in recent weeks.The Saints were barred from the Championship play-off final against Hull City, and replaced by defeated semi-finalists Middlesbrough, after an independent commission found the south coast club guilty of spying on Boro training in the 72 hours preceding their first leg tie. You may like The Southampton spygate fiasco was a case study in flawed supporter behaviour Southampton hopeful of 'Spygate' appeal - but manager faces BAN for brazen offence Where's Willy? Southampton 'smoking gun' in spygate saga reveals new twist in Championship play-off row Southampton apology video felt insincere after getting play-off bootSince 2018, it has been forbidden for English Football League (EFL) clubs to observe opponents' training in the three-day period before a fixture.Even before the original Spygate saga of 2018 - involving Leeds United and Derby County, which prompted a change to EFL legislation - it had always been the case that clubs should behave in good faith towards each other, so much so, that it is written into the EFL rules.Since taking the top job at Southampton, Eckert has overseen a spying campaign on the Saints' upcoming opponents, to which the club have admitted being a party to in at least two other cases.Eckert delivered an eight-minute video message, primarily to the club's supporters, but clearly intended for a wider audience, this week, apologising for the sins committed which resulted in Southampton receiving an unprecedented play-off expulsion.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Maintaining intense eye contact down the camera lens, almost as if he were observing a Middlesbrough training session shot on an iPhone, Eckert took his medicine and owned up to the actions that ultimately saw Saints miss out on a shot at promotion back to the Premier League.For all intents and purposes, this seemed to be your bog standard celebrity apology video. The familiar platitudes were laid out: 'I've let you down, I take full responsibility, yadda yadda'. But, hang on, there's still four minutes of this video left.Turning quicker than a fleet of foot intern whose stealthy plot had been foiled by Rockliffe Hall training ground staff, Eckert began explaining his actions. Hmm. The tone became much less apologetic. To the neutral, you could be excused for thinking the Saints boss didn't really mean everything he'd said in those opening four minutes. What to read next Southampton face being BANNED from Championship Play-Off Final over 'Spygate 2.0' 'Spygate' villains Southampton wouldn't be the first team to be kicked out of the play-offs Southampton face potential misconduct charge after spying alleged at Middlesbrough training ground ahead of Championship play-offs I don't know about you, but whenever I've had to apologise for something, it's usually a brief exchange in which I take responsibility, offer restitution to the aggrieved party and don't bother with the whole, '...but, the thing is you see, I was only doing it because...'. And that's because it's not a great look - even if you still feel like you're in the right."When I worked in Italy for over four years, every starting lineup that we've chosen for the games was always out in the media before games," Eckert said. "And the reason is that our training sessions, especially the ones before games, have always been observed from media and opponent teams that we came up against."[Pep] Guardiola has spoken about this at his time at Bayern Munich that it has been common practice in Germany to observe training sessions knowing other teams would do the same. I don't want to say this to excuse what we have done, I just want to give you context in the way that I grew up in the football world."There's different rules in England, different rules from the EFL and I should have known them."The bitter irony is none of what has happened had any effect on sporting performance. I don't want to use this as an excuse."I have made a mistake and I take full responsibility."Eckert had to eat this one, like a big humble parmo. He'd been caught breaking the rules and punished for it. Some might argue Southampton were sanctioned unfairly or disproportionately, but Eckert represents the club, he is the face acting on behalf of those he manages, those who support him and the team, and those he works under, in what he believed to be the club's best interests. Punishment fits the crime, I'm afraid.But Eckert didn't eat it - and it's likely now he never will, and won't have to. The German coach keeps his job and has instilled a siege mentality at St. Mary's Stadium, based on the social media response from Saints supporters.Get VIP Premier League tickets for next season HERE with Seat Unique!For a die-hard fan, Seat Unique is a shortcut to those sold-out, high-stakes Premier League matches that usually feel out of reach without years of loyalty points. By partnering directly with clubs like Manchester United, Spurs, and Everton, they provide 100% official, guaranteed entry without the red tape of memberships or ballots. Its a secure way to bypass the resale lottery and walk straight into the ground with a prime view, making those "once-in-a-lifetime" derbies actually doable.View DealMost neutrals could plainly see how it was they, the fans, who were most hard done by. Not Eckert, not Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose spying celebration in the semi-final second leg, shone a bright light on footballers' intellect once more, and not the suits in the St. Mary's director's box.The fans will back him, he's their manager and he actually presided over a fantastic run of form to get Southampton into the play-offs in the first place. Winning is the ultimate currency in football. How much the team actually gleaned from their surreptitious activity will never be quantified but even the slimmest advantages can make all the difference in such a low-scoring sport.So, Eckert has taken responsibility, or has he? He's been apologetic, too, but did he really apologise? Why does all of this matter?Football clubs are the pillars of local communities and, in an ideal world, you'd like to think those leading your club are upstanding, rule-abiding members of the public. Some aren't, and unfortunately football has a way of attracting them. That is not to broadly suggest Eckert is such an individual - I have never met the man and would not cast aspersions on his character or moral fibre. But in this case, he's been found to be in the wrong.Eckert cited previous experiences in Italy and Germany, referenced managerial great Guardiola and commented on the 'bitter irony' of spying supposedly giving Southampton no material sporting advantage, almost as if he were justifying his actions, before adding 'I want to provide context'. All it did was make his previous apology feel insincere. Apologies don't require context when they're sincere.If spying on your opponent offers little tangible benefit, why do it? If unsure of the EFL rules on spying, why not check them? If the club did not know they were in the wrong, why did the analyst flee once rumbled? Why did he have a change of clothes? Probably because Rockliffe doubles as a golf course, so he brought a spare pair of trousers in case he got a hole in one.If your apology requires context, it is not an apology, it is an explanation. When an explanation of wrongdoing comes from a position of power and strength, it is rarely one which serves the interests of the aggrieved, often weaker, party.And how about apologising publicly to young intern, Will Salt, made to carry out the dirty work, whose picture was on the back page of every national newspaper? Leaked WhatsApp messages have recently indicated that interns and junior analysts, much lower in seniority than somebody in Eckert's position, felt pressure to conduct Southampton's spying missions."I didn't really have an option and wasn't provided an opportunity to say no. I was an intern and was doing what I was told", a junior analyst intern reportedly told peers.There is still much that doesn't sit right, and probably never will.TOPICSSouthamptonMiddlesbroughChampionshipPremier LeagueJoe DonnohueSocial Links NavigationSenior Digital WriterJoe joined FourFourTwo as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe's 'Mastermind' specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James' Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have 'hit top bins' as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn't a shin-roller.
