Ex-PGMOL chief drops verdict as Tonda Eckert lands Southampton ban

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert's six-week suspended ban and fine are sufficient punishments for the Spygate saga.

That is according to former PGMOL boss and FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who has exclusively told Football Insider that Eckert will have learnt his lesson from the whole situation.

The FA have confirmed that Eckert will be banned from all footballing activity for six weeks if he is found to be involved in any other spying between now and the end of next season.

Southampton were thrown out of the 2025-26 Championship play-offs after they admitted to spying on several second-tier rivals and semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough, before their first-leg clash.

Eckert was charged as the main orchestrator of the cheating, with numerous potential punishments raised as an FA independent regulatory commission investigated the situation.

All parties involved can now move on, with Eckert's ban unlikely to come into effect as he pushes for promotion to the Premier League as Saints boss.

Tonda Eckert decision praised as enough to dissuade future law-breaking

The prospect of Eckert being banned from English football altogether felt entirely plausible in the build up to an official verdict being given.

The FA's initial proposal was a three-month ban, but the commission have given credit to the Southampton boss for his "genuine contrition" towards the spying, as he claimed he was unaware that the practice was banned in England.

Former refereeing chief Hackett believes that the six-week suspended ban and £28,000 fine are adequate, as Eckert is now unlikely to repeat the offence.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, he said: "Given the amount of technical data available to clubs, many of whom employ more than one tech expert, it was rather surprising that someone should stand in the perimeter of a training ground to spy on their opponent.

"I do think that the decision is a sensible one, given the risk an immediate ban could have impacted the career of this manager. I do not expect him to repeat this type of action in the future."

What are Southampton's current chances of Championship promotion?

Southampton started the season on minus four points after the EFL charged the club for breaking the rules, so they currently sit 13th in the Championship on 10 points after eight games.

Opta's supercomputer is currently backing the Saints to finish fourth in the second tier on 74 points, with a 20.18 per cent chance of winning promotion.

They are 9.5 per cent likely to win the title as it stands, with West Ham and Wolves backed to win automatic promotion and Middlesbrough predicted to come third ahead of Eckert's side.