Let off the hook? Tonda Eckert can now move on as Southampton suspension has been revealed

Just like that, Tonda Eckert's fate has now been revealed.

For those worrying he would be given a six-month ban for his involvement in Spygate will be very relieved, as he has been handed just a suspended six-week ban, instead, which is a light penalty, compared to all the doomsday situations being played out in people's heads regarding the under-fire Southampton boss.

This means he is free to continue as Saints boss for the South Coast Derby on Sunday, with the ban suspended until the end of the next Championship campaign.

It would come into effect if he were found participating in any more espionage, between now and the end of the 2026/27 season, though.

No doubt, this news filtering through in the build-up to the tasty showdown versus Portsmouth will make Sunday's match even more competitive and fierce, as the Southampton players will desperately want to collect a win, even more, with the dark cloud of Spygate finally being lifted.

The argument against such a lenient penalty will be that the South Coast giants have been left off the hook here when it comes to a serious individual sanction for Eckert, with the German not punished severely for his particular role in everything that went down.

But, the powers that be clearly feel he's been punished enough with the expulsion from the playoffs and the four point deduction - which was handed to them by the EFL - leaving him disoriented in the dug-out, with a line now drawn under it all.

The reaction to the suspended ban

The wider footballing world will feel that he should have been punished a bit more rashly, as he did sign off on these spying tactics taking place.

But, when is enough enough? He can't keep being publically crucified for the rest of time.

It's not as if this is a completely lenient ban, either, as he has been fined £28,000, and he will have to live with the regret for a long time that he dragged the club's reputation through the mud, leading to a missed chance at Premier League action last campaign.

Southampton's owner, Dragan Solak, summed up it nicely when he said, in response to the ban coming to light: "The (FA) panel has been able to see that he is simply a good person who made poor decisions."

Now, the club, and the slandered German, can move on together, with Pompey on Sunday giving them the perfect chance to pick up a confident three points, to exorcise those Spygate demons even more.

This could be all looked back on as major bit of character building if Southampton clinch promotion at the end of the season, the necessary slap in the face they needed to take, in the movie that ultimately ends in Premier League football being reached.

Where does this leave Eckert now?

Well, there are murmurs that a new contract could be put on the table for him, as he lets his team's exciting, free-flowing football take centre stage, over any more controversies.

Eckert could win a new contract

Daily Echo journalist Dan Hargraves has stated that an extended deal must now come Eckert's way, with the wins continuing to come this season, even with all these distractions in the background.

Indeed, he is a clearly a talented manager, even with Spygate tarring his repuation somewhat, with four Championship wins collected this season, alongside an impressive 15 goals being scored, just on home soil alone.

Having stuck by him during all this unsettling noise, it would send out a big statement to gift him a bumper contract, and he deserves it, with 36 wins next to his name, from 62 total matches in charge.

The big hope will be he bumps this tally up to 37 after he masterminds a slick performance that puts Portsmouth to the sword in emphatic style, with the Saints getting off lightly, some would say, compared to all the more long-lasting scenarios that could have played out.

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