Southampton’s head coach Tonda Eckert has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) for his involvement in the club’s Championship “Spygate” controversy.
The FA confirmed to BBC Sport on Wednesday that Eckert has been charged with three breaches of Rule E3.1 pertaining to suspected wrongdoing between December 2025 and May 2026.
The governing body claimed that the Southampton coach acted unlawfully and brought the game into disgrace by ordering and/or authorizing the observation of opposing training sessions.
Southampton were kicked out of the Championship play-offs in May after admitting to spying on three clubs throughout the season.
An independent disciplinary commission previously ruled that the surveillance activities were authorized by Eckert and described the operation as a “contrived and determined plan from the top down.”
The English Football League had charged Southampton with watching training sessions involving Oxford United and Ipswich Town, as well as filming Middlesbrough while preparing for the first leg of their play-off semi-final. Southampton had defeated Middlesbrough.
The FA then initiated an inquiry into the event to discover who was involved and examine the accountability of those who were aware of the surveillance actions.
Eckert has until next Tuesday to react to the charges.
In a statement, Southampton said the club and Eckert had accepted the FA’s claims and would continue to fully cooperate with the inquiry.
“Tonda and the club will continue to cooperate fully and openly with the FA,” the club said.
Southampton also stated that its focus remained on preparations for the 2026/27 Championship season and that it will continue to support Eckert and his coaching staff as the team seeks a return to the Premier League.
The club stated that it would not make any additional remarks while the disciplinary procedure was ongoing but would provide supporters with developments as soon as feasible.
Despite the scandal, Southampton owner Dragan Solak previously supported Eckert, describing the affair as a mistake and saying that the club had already received adequate punishment.
Eckert recently confessed responsibility for authorizing the acts that resulted in the disciplinary case, stating he accepted the verdict and apologized for his judgment.
The coach stated that the club has subsequently moved forward, with renewed focus and positive spirit ahead of the upcoming season.
Eckert had issued an apology for orchestrating the “spygate” scandal, admitting he is responsible for “everything that has happened.”
