Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has said the Spygate scandal is an experience that has changed his life, speaking to the media for the first time since his punishment was confirmed.
The 33-year-old was given a six-week suspended ban and a £28,000 fine by the Football Association for his role in the affair. Crucially, he escaped any individual punishment that threatened his job, following an FA investigation into his conduct that lasted for more than four months.
Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-offs in May after admitting spying on training sessions involving Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final. The commission ruled on Eckert’s case this week.
The FA had proposed a three-month ban, but the independent commission gave credit to Eckert for what it called “considerable mitigation in this matter, most particularly around the genuine contrition”. The governing body is still yet to confirm whether it will appeal the ruling.
“It’s tough. It changes your life. If I would say it’s been all easy, it’s not,” Eckert said. “But you have to find a way. You have to come to a conclusion at one point in the summer of how you want to continue. That first decision [public backing from the owner] was not for me but for the club. And at that very moment, then it’s for me to see if I have the energy to be the right one to bring that project forward. Once you make that decision, there’s no excuses.”
The Southampton boss was in a relaxed mood during Thursday’s media conference at the club’s Staplewood training ground, sharing a joke with reporters before sitting down to answer questions. He has won 30 of his 50 games in charge of the club.
Although Wednesday’s ruling was a positive outcome for Southampton and Eckert, there was a lot of negative reaction online from supporters of other sides who felt the punishment was too lenient. Before the verdict, Cambridge United head coach Neil Harris told BBC Radio 5 Live that the Saints head coach “should get a ban and a huge ban”.
Eckert admitted it was not just a relief for him to be able to finally bring an end to the case after more than four months of intense scrutiny and criticism, but also for those in his inner circle, both personally and professionally.
“It’s not just good for me [that it’s over],” he added. “I am not the one who shares too much from my private life but obviously it does make a big difference that we can draw a line, not just for me but also for the ones close to me. I’m grateful for the club, I’m grateful for the people close to me to help me throughout some moments that haven’t been easy. And you just come to the moment now luckily where it’s done and for us to look forward and that we get back to the performance that we need if we want to play for big goals this season.”
Southampton now face bitter rivals Portsmouth on Sunday (12:00 BST), and when Eckert was asked about the kind of atmosphere he is expecting, a grin broke out on his face before he responded.