Southampton were expelled from the 2026 Championship play-offs and docked four points for the 2026-27 season after admitting to spying on opponents' training sessions during the 2025-26 campaign, the club confirmed in May 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Head coach Tonda Eckert, 33, acknowledged he orchestrated the spying but said he was unaware that the practice violated English Football League (EFL) rules [1, 2, 5, 4]. Eckert publicly apologized on June 2, taking full responsibility and stating spying on training sessions was common where he previously worked in Germany and Italy [2, 5, 6, 3, 4].
Southampton owner Dragan Solak voiced his full support for Eckert and stated he would not sack him. Solak said, "I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him. My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he's a super-talented manager" [1]. However, Solak set a clear condition: Eckert must fully understand the EFL rules by July 2026 or risk losing his job. "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'" [2].
An independent disciplinary commission found Southampton seriously breached competition integrity and Eckert accepted the charges against the club [1, 4]. The Football Association is currently investigating Eckert’s conduct and may impose a ban that would bar him from working in English football [5, 6, 4].
The spying involved observing opponents' training sessions on three occasions in the 2025-26 season [4]. A junior staff member said Eckert’s spying plans put them under extreme pressure and caused discomfort performing these tasks [1]. Former Southampton player Jo Tessem reflected on the club's divided reaction, noting the scandal’s impact on reputation. He said, "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" [5].
Eckert worked previously for Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, FC Koln in Germany, and Genoa in Italy, where spying on training sessions reportedly occurs regularly [6, 4]. Eckert said, "When I worked in Italy for four years, every starting line-up we chose was out in the media before games, and the reason is our training sessions - especially the ones before games - have always been observed by media and opponent teams" [6]. He insisted that "none of what has happened had any affect on the sporting performance" [4].
Southampton finished 4th in the Championship in 2025-26 but will start the 2026-27 season with a four-point penalty due to the sanctions [1]. The Football Association’s investigation continues as the club prepares for next season with Eckert still in charge under a probationary warning [5, 6, 4].
