The Spygate saga that engulfed Southampton Football Club for weeks is set to come to a conclusion.
Following the Football Association charging Saints boss Tonda Eckert with three breaches of Rule E3.1, spying incidents he had already admitted to authorising, the German head coach now awaits his punishment.
With Eckert not set to contest the FA’s charges, the 33-year-old must respond by Tuesday 28 July - tomorrow.
After that response, any sanctions can be imposed by the FA - and can range from simple fines to bans from football. Southampton will be hoping it isn’t the latter.
Eckert faces verdict
Southampton and their head coach Tonda Eckert are expected to discover the outcome of his FA charges this week, and it will be about time.
Over eight weeks after the investigation was launched, the whole situation is finally set to draw to a conclusion - and the Saints will only find closure if their manager remains in place.
With less than two weeks until the first game of the season against Colchester United in the Carabao Cup First Round, any decision to ban Tonda Eckert will throw their comfortable summer so far into disarray.
The signings of Lewis Dobbin, Cyle Larin, Daniel Peretz and George Long have all been well received and look excellent on paper - all players who have spoken highly of Eckert.
No previous precedent
The FA face a huge decision on what sanction they impose on Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert.
There is no real previous precedent for what sanction the FA may impose, adding extra pressure and tension from Southampton’s end as to what they decide upon.
Previous breaches of Rule E3.1 have been met with fines and touchline bans, while former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa was given a formal warning in 2019's Spygate scandal and not charged by the FA.
While the “new rule” excuse (Regulation 127) worked in the EFL’s favour during their hearing, this does not apply to the FA's approach here, as it did in May when Southampton were chucked out of the Championship play-offs, before Middlesbrough took their place and lost the final to Hull City.
Southampton will feel they have already been served punishment enough for Spygate, and rather disproportionately. Any decision to ban the young manager who has publicly apologised for his mistakes would be over the top.
But this investigation is over Tonda Eckert and Eckert alone. Sadly for the Saints, the FA will likely not take into account their thoughts and feelings and hand out a punishment that they deem fits the crime.
Add us as a preferred source on Google