While Southampton felt the full force of the EFL's disciplinary powers at the back end of last season, Spygate is far from over with the future of head coach Tonda Eckert still uncertain. Saints' Championship campaign gets under way on Sunday and it still remains to be seen how Eckert, who was charged last month by the Football Association (FA), will be punished. BBC Sport has been told the FA hearing is likely to be held in mid September.
Once the result is known, and with the possiblty of an appeal to follow, Southampton will be a significant way into their campaign. Eckert was charged with misconduct by the FA on 22 July for his role in the Spygate scandal that led to Saints being kicked out of the Championship play-offs in May after admitting they spied on three clubs last season. The ongoing investigation is looking into who participated in the spying and assessing the culpability of those who knew it was happening.
BBC Sport also understands that the intern involved, Will Salt, is set to be appointed to a permanent analyst role with the club since the controversy. Saints owner Dragan Solak revealed to BBC Sport in early June that he would not sack Eckert and that he was deserving of a second chance. That could be taken out of his hands if the German coach is handed a lengthy ban, and it could happen in the midst of the Championship season.
The EFL opened its investigation into the spying allegations before the play-off semi-finals and charged Southampton with spying on 8 May. Eleven days later Southampton learned their fate and were thrown out of the play-offs and given a four-point deduction for this season. Unlike in the EFL case, which needed to be resolved in order to complete the play-offs, the FA process has allowed Southampton more time to submit evidence in support of their case.
When Southampton finally present that case it will be approaching four months after the FA began its investigation. The Championship will pause for three weeks between Monday, 21 September to Tuesday, 6 October for the international break - but whether Southampton will learn the outcome by then is not yet known. In short, it will depend on how long the ban is.
Eckert is only contracted at St Mary's until the end of the current season, and a significant sanction could force the club to look elsewhere for a new head coach. Group technical director Johannes Spors provided some insight into the board's current thinking during the recent BBC Radio Solent Southampton FC fans' forum. Spors has held his position since 2025 and played a key role in handing Eckert the permanent job as head coach in December last year.
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