Southampton head coach charged with misconduct by FA over 'Spygate' scandal

Southampton's head coach Tonda Eckert has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) over the "Spygate" scandal.

Saints were thrown out of the Championship play-offs by the EFL in May over the affair and docked four points for the coming season.

The club admitted using junior staff to spy on a training session held by play-off opponents Middlesbrough in May, and on sessions at Ipswich and Oxford earlier in the season.

On Wednesday, the FA said that Eckert had been "charged with three breaches of FA Rule E3.1 in relation to misconduct between December 2025 and May 2026".

It said: "It's alleged that the head coach acted in an improper manner and/or brought the game into disrepute by directing and/or authorising the observation of training sessions of Oxford United FC, Ipswich Town FC and Middlesbrough FC ahead of fixtures between these clubs and Southampton FC in December 2025, April 2026 and May 2026 respectively."

Eckert has until next Tuesday to provide his response to the charges, the FA added.

It comes after the FA confirmed it was investigating the matter on 21 May.

Southampton beat Middlesbrough and were due to play Hull City in the play-off final, before Boro were reinstated over the scandal. Southampton appealed against the decision but it was upheld by the League Arbitration Panel.

Following the charges against Eckert on Wednesday, Southampton said: "Tonda and the club will continue to cooperate fully and openly with the FA.

"Our focus remains on preparations for the 2026/27 Championship season. The club remains fully supportive of Tonda and his staff as we work towards our ambition of returning to the Premier League.

"We are unable to comment further while the process remains ongoing, but we will provide an update to supporters as soon as we are in a position to do so."

Rule E3.1 of the FA code states a "participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game" and not in "any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute, or uses any one, or a combination of violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent, or insulting words or behaviour".

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The English Football League Championship (EFL) also carried out its own investigation that labelled Southampton "deplorable" for pressuring an intern to spy on their rivals.

The EFL only had the power to charge clubs, not individuals, during the probe.

The FA had waited for the EFL to complete its processes before launching its own investigation.

During the League Arbitration Panel hearing, messages were released that said Eckert "loved" the information an intern gathered when spying on one of their opponents.

The written reasons also said junior staff felt pressure to follow orders due to one colleague losing their job earlier in the season.

In June, Eckert posted an apology video in which he took responsibility for "everything that has happened".

"For everything that has happened, I do want to apologise and I hold my hand up because as head coach I am responsible," he said.

"I am responsible for everything that has happened at this football club."

He added that spying was common in other countries, though it did not "excuse anything that we have done".

(c) Sky News 2026: Southampton head coach charged with misconduct by FA over 'Spygate' scandal