‘Manager loved it’: Tonda Eckert found to have initiated Southampton’s spying

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert is reported to have launched a spying operation on opposing teams, with new documents revealing that an intern assigned to record rival training sessions was informed that the manager supported the scheme.

Following the discovery that Southampton had spied on Oxford United, Ipswich and Middlesbrough, the club was expelled from the Championship playoffs last month. The Football Association is now investigating Eckert, and recent remarks from the panel that dismissed the club’s appeal suggest he played a pivotal role in the scheme.

The English Football League arbitration panel stated that the initial spying incident occurred before Southampton’s Boxing Day match against Oxford and was ordered by the head coach. The panel noted that Mr. Eckert requested that someone attend an Oxford training session to assess the team’s formation and determine the fitness of a specific player, identified as Cameron Brannagan. Eckert later expressed surprise that such conduct violated regulations.

Eckert raised the idea during a meeting of Southampton’s analysis staff, and a team analyst selected an intern to carry out the task. In his testimony to the commission, the intern said he felt he had no real choice but to accept the assignment and was not given the chance to refuse.

After observing two Oxford training sessions, the intern transmitted updates, photographs and videos to the club outlining tactical formations and player selection considerations. Eckert claimed he never viewed the footage, but he did speak with the intern by phone after the sessions. A member of the analysis team messaged the intern on WhatsApp, encouraging him to gather as much information as possible and remarking, “You legend. Manager loved it.”

In April, the panel reported that the intern was instructed to monitor Ipswich while the team prepared for a match at Southampton’s nearby Eastleigh venue. The intern declined, saying the manager insisted that someone must attend. Consequently, an academy analyst was selected to record the session. Eckert informed the commission that he learned of the footage two hours before kickoff and initially assumed it had been captured on Eastleigh’s CCTV system.

The third incident involved Middlesbrough. The original intern agreed to undertake the assignment, later asserting that he feared losing his job had he refused. The panel noted that Eckert rebuked him for not traveling immediately after accepting the task.

His visit later attracted widespread attention after he was discovered filming a training session. The intern had waited for Eckert’s instruction to return home, but when none came, he departed and learned of the accusations against the club en route. The panel reported that Eckert told the commission the videos were of low quality, taken from a distance, and therefore offered no benefit to him.

Southampton’s appeal to overturn the playoff removal and the four‑point deduction for the forthcoming Championship season was dismissed. The panel concluded that the club derived a sporting advantage from its spying activities—distinguishing advantage from outright success—and identified precedents for imposing severe sanctions. The Football Association’s investigation remains ongoing.

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