Tonda Eckert gives an update on the FA investigation and speaks on receiving police protection due to threats during the Spygate scandal.
He spoke with Sky Sports News‘ Mark McAdam, reflecting on what has been a challenging summer for him and his side, dealing with the fallout from Spygate.
Towards the end of last season, they admitted to spying on Oxford, Ipswich and Middlesbrough, the Saints punished by being removed from the Championship playoff final and deducted four points for the 2026/27 season.
Mark McAdam: “For you personally, are you okay? Because this is a big story, front and back page news that you were at the centre of. How have you been able to deal with the last few months? How are you and yourself? Because undoubtedly it would have affected you and your family and those connected to you.”
Tonda: “Oh, it’s been an emotional summer. Yeah, I can’t lie. Obviously, when the news broke towards the back end of last season it’s tough. It’s not easy in that very moment. It’s not easy to look into the eyes of the players who are just so disappointed uh and and so many emotions coming out and yeah, you get so many threats at one point. You have police protection at one point, can’t drive a car, and like it’s tough to deal with that for the very moment. And then when things calm down with time and I went back home and different challenges at home and yeah then you have a moment to reflect.
“I think that over the months there’s also been a lot of positives like a lot of positives that we can take into next season and then after a couple of weeks that excitement comes back in to go again and show what we about and that’s been the feeling since coming back into the training ground. We are on the second week of pre-season now. Players have come back in and in very good shape, with a smile on their face and ready to go again.”
Mark McAdam: “When you say protection, police protection and threats. What do you mean by that?”
Tonda: “You can imagine how it is towards the end of the season when emotions run high. And yeah I normally I try to stay off try to stay off social and not read too much, but there’s always a couple of things that come through and yeah, it’s been a big wave. Has been a very big wave publicly towards towards the end. And then we were around for a couple days longer to sort some of the things that needed to be sorted and to have a first look ahead. And yeah, but it’s been been some tough days.”
Mark McAdam: “And you weren’t allowed to leave the house, you weren’t allowed to drive. Were you in fear of your your own personal safety, your family safety?”
Tonda: “Well, I brought my family back home to uh to Germany. So they were out of the country in that moment. But yes, of course, it’s like when you have a direct line to the police because they tell you that they don’t know what’s going to expect you at home and you always have someone that you can reach in case something happens. You receive messages, some of support like there was also some very nice messages in the last uh the last days. Um but also a couple that were not so nice. Yes, some challenging days.”
Mark McAdam: “It’s obviously been a really scary time. You’re still under investigation by the FA at the moment. What’s the latest on their investigation? We know the arbitration panel. We know that Southampton have a minus four points deduction for the start of this Championship campaign. We know that you couldn’t participate in the in the playoffs, the Championship playoffs. What about this FA investigation? What’s the latest there?”
Tonda: “So, I went to London two weeks ago, and then there’s an invitation for an interview. I think it’s been very professional. Took quite a few hours to just go through everything that has happened and now we’re waiting for a response.”
Mark McAdam: “You mentioned the players there and clearly they’re a huge part of the football club. How difficult were those moments when you have to face them and explain what’s been going on, what’s happened, and the implications of being found to be spying has massive knock-on effects to them financially, the ability to get promoted to play in the Premier League and then the bonuses and finances that come with that. They’ve potentially missed out on huge sums of money. How much of a difficult conversation was that? How frustrated you feel they were in those moments with whoever is responsible for what happened?”
Tonda: “Well, I think the decision has come through on a Tuesday if I remember correctly and then we have called the players in on the next morning, and you can imagine that it’s like there’s so many emotions that come out and that have every right to to come out.
“And then in that very moment, I think that you can like the only thing you can do is be present like you can be there and I think every relationship that you create over time gets tested in certain moments.
“It doesn’t get tested when you win one football game after another, but it gets tested in the tough moments and I think that comes down to to how you are and how you build up a relationship and that’s been the case at this point, not just with the players, but also with the supporters, with the board, with many people at this football club that you just put your relationship to a test.
“And I think the response has been very clear.”
Mark McAdam: “How important is it that that response comes sooner rather than later?”
Tonda: “I think that the process has started; now we wait for a response. I think on our daily work it doesn’t influence us so much; because once you’re out on the pitch, you’re out on the pitch, and then there’s work to do. It’s nice to be back on the grass, but obviously it’s a question that needs to be answered.”
Mark McAdam: “Has the FA given you any indication as to how long the investigation may take?”
Tonda: “I wish there was a clear timeline, but I think they’ll come back to us shortly and then we’ll know how things move on.”
Mark McAdam: “Do you feel like the players are behind you?”
Tonda: “Yes, and it’s been exciting. It’s been exciting to come back in last week. I think it’s not just Daniel [Peretz, who joined permanently from Bayern Munich], I think there’s a couple of players that have made a statement.
“And it was an easy decision on the back of the performance of Daniel, Cyle [Larin – joined permanently from Mallorca] and also James [Bree – new three-year deal] to take a chapter elsewhere. And I think it just shows that they are committed to the football club, to the project, to what we work for and what we go for in the next season.
“I think the statement couldn’t have been bigger on the back of how our season ended.”
Mark McAdam: “Do you feel you’ve got to build bridges with the rest of the football community with some hostile receptions next season?”
Tonda: “I think that will be part of the story for next season. Obviously away games are always challenging; I think they’ll be even more challenging next year. So, I think we need to be very united with the inside, the core of the football club, obviously including the supporters, and then represent the shirt and represent our colours in the best way.”
Mark McAdam: “Do you have a few regrets about what you’ve done? And what lessons will you learn from what’s happened?”
Tonda: “It’s been tough because we’ve built up something I think very special over many months, and I’ve said that in a message to our supporters, that I take responsibility for how the season has finished.
“At the same time, I’ve never had the intention of breaking a rule. I’ve come into this football club in November, and next week I’ll be joining the EFL for a briefing. I haven’t had that in the last season, but I’ve used the summer to talk to some senior football [people] in English football, to many managers.
“I’ve gone through all 131 rules in the appendices of the EFL regulations, so obviously going into a season there are many decisions to make, always. But I’m never going to make a decision based on a rule that I don’t know at that very point.
“There’s a lot of reflection over the summer, and I think in order to move forward, to show humility in the way we approach the next season, and then connect to all of the positive things and the excitement that we’ve had over many games.
“I have reflected on many things, and I’ve said this throughout the hearing as well: I’ve never had the intention to bring anything into disrepute. I’ve taken the time over the summer not just to know all of the rules, not just of the EFL but also of the FA, but more to understand where they come from and to understand the culture behind that.
“That is definitely something that is not going to happen again in the next season, that I take any decisions on rules that I don’t know about at that very point or a culture that I haven’t dived in deep enough to understand where that rule comes from.”
Tonda also spoke with BBC Radio Solent Sport…
Tonda Eckert has spoken to us the first time since the Spygate scandal 🗣️
The #SaintsFC boss is preparing for the next season despite an ongoing FA investigation 🔍
Eckert spoke to @AdamBlackmore ⬇️https://t.co/F1lvq09Gd9 pic.twitter.com/SnhXqCA4zN
— BBC Radio Solent Sport (@solentsport) July 17, 2026
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