Southampton owner will not sack head coach after club spied on rival teams

Southampton owner Dragan Solak has declared his full support for head coach Tonda Eckert, stating he will not be sacked despite authorizing a spying campaign against rival Championship clubs. Solak believes Eckert, who guided the team to the promotion play-offs after a relegation battle, deserves a second chance.

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I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him.

Eckert, 33, admitted to orchestrating the spying, which the club has been punished for with a four-point deduction for the 2026-27 season. An independent disciplinary commission noted Eckert's surprise at learning that such practices were prohibited by EFL regulations. A junior staff member also claimed Eckert's proposals put them under "extreme pressure" to perform a task they found morally wrong.

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My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he's a super-talented manager.

Solak, whose media company acquired a majority stake in Southampton in 2022, suggested that such tactics are common practice in Italy and Germany. "In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about," Solak told BBC Sport.

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I believe Tonda that he didn't know that it was the rule that he was breaking.

However, Solak issued a stern warning to Eckert. "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," he stated. The Football Association is also investigating the matter and could impose further sanctions on Eckert.

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In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about.