Does Southampton Spygate boss Eckert deserve a second chance?

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Tonda Eckert has not spoken to the media about the Spygate scandal, but said on Southampton's social media channels on Tuesday that he wanted to "give context" to the situation By Daniel Austin BBC Sport senior journalist Published 5 minutes ago "I hope that over time you can understand and forgive." Those were the words of Southampton manager Tonda Eckert, speaking to supporters in a video apology published by the club's in-house media team on Tuesday, following the Spygate scandal which led to his team being thrown out of the Championship play-offs. The 33-year-old said he took "full responsibility" for the charges Southampton admitted during the English Football League's (EFL) investigation into the club's spying practices involving three matches in the 2025-26 season. But he also doubled down on his previous claims that spying is common practice in Germany and Italy, where he worked before joining Saints initially as Under-21s manager last summer, and insisted that "none of what has happened made any impact on sporting performance". In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport , Southampton owner Dragan Solak said his plan is to allow Eckert to remain in his job, despite the controversy and damage done to the club's reputation. The decision may yet be taken out of Solak's hands, with the Football Association currently investigating Eckert's conduct. If he is charged and found guilty, he could be punished with a ban that prevents him from working in English football. But if the choice remains Southampton's, should Eckert really be given a reprieve? To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Eckert: "I am a young coach, I have made a mistake, and I take full responsibility" 'A lot of people are divided' Since Eckert took charge following the sacking of previous manager Will Still last autumn, no team in the Championship earned more points than Southampton, who also reached the FA Cup semi-finals and only missed out on a place in the final owing to a late comeback from Manchester City. But the argument over whether or not to keep Eckert goes far beyond his ability as a coach. "A lot of people are divided - the fans and I think people inside the club too," says Jo Tessem, a former midfielder who made 130 appearances for the club. "People's kids are wearing Saints shirts to play and having 'cheat' shouted at them. That's serious and it really hurts people. There is a lot of rebuilding to do to get that label gone. "If I were a player now I would be extremely disappointed and angry with the club and the staff. How do you turn that around? I haven't got an answer to that. "Dragan has said what he wants to do. Now the club has to sell [keeping Eckert] as an idea and try to build bridges. "I think it needs to be tidied up as quickly as possible. We need to be able to move forward." Southampton owner will not sack head coach Eckert Published 3 hour