Southampton boss given all-clear to face Portsmouth following Spygate punishment
The FA have given the Southampton boss his punishment following the Spygate scandal.
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has been given the all-clear to lead his side into the south-coast derby with Pompey.
That’s after the German was this afternoon handed a suspended ban for his role in the Spygate scandal by the FA.
Eckert all clear to lead Southampton against Pompey
Eckert has been given a six-week ban from all football, but the FA have chosen to suspend the punishment until the end of next season. He has also been reprimanded and given a £28,000 fine.
The 33-year-old was given the charge in July with the hearing taking place at the end of last month.
The wait has continued for the verdict to be handed down, but there is now clarity over the pathway ahead for Pompey’s rivals ahead of Sunday’s meeting at St Mary’s.
The view from many was a lengthy ban for Southampton being caught spying on three Championship sides last season could lead to the head coach losing his job.
Their admission of guilt over spying on training sessions involving Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough saw them expelled from the Championship play-offs and handed a four-point deduction this season by the EFL.
Southampton this afternoon welcomed the outcome of the FA hearing and stated they hoped it would bring an end to a ‘regrettable period of our history’.
The club statement said: ‘Southampton Football Club welcomes the outcome of the FA hearing into the events at the end of last season.
‘We hope this now brings a conclusion to a regrettable period of our history and measures have been put in place to ensure that such errors in judgement never happen again at our club.
‘We want to take this opportunity to thank the supporters for their unconditional backing throughout this process. Our fan base is unmatched, and we are excited to move forward together towards a bright future.
‘Owner Dragan Solak said: “I’m pleased that the independent panel has come to a decision and that we have an outcome. We have already suffered enough, and we appreciate the panel’s recognition of that.
‘“We are confident the manager has learned from this matter, and a suspended sentence allows him to continue in his role. I firmly believe that Tonda is one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches, and with this distraction removed, I am confident he can lead the team to a successful season. I’d like to thank our fans for standing by us and showing the team so much support during a time when we have needed them more than ever.
‘“The FA process has been a positive experience. Tonda has been given the opportunity to be open and honest with the panel, and the panel has been able to see that he is simply a good person who made poor decisions. The same cannot be said for the EFL process, and the way they have subsequently treated us is not something we will forget. However, now is the time to look forward to what I believe will be a great future for our club.”’