Southampton Head Coach, Tonda Eckert, who took the club from 21st in the Championship in November to a fourth-place finish in the league, has finally had his say.
The 33-year-old has had his fair share of criticism, and rightly so, after being involved in spying on Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough, which ultimately led to the Saints being thrown out of the Championship play-offs.
Rather than being sacked, it appears the Saints are going to back Tonda Eckert to the hills, after Chairman Dragan Solak gave the German his vote of confidence.
First of all, the club will have to heal, and Eckert has issued his apology.
Eckert apologises
The following extract from Southampton’s official media is just the first snippet of an eight-minute video statement from Tonda Eckert.
"Hi, Saints supporters. What I'm going to say is not going to be perfect, but I will try to be as honest and clear as I can be. I think you deserve that. For everything that's happened, I do want to apologise, and I hold my hand up because as a head coach, I am responsible.
"I am responsible for everything that has happened in this football club. I am responsible for everything that has happened in my coaching staff.
"I do apologise to the supporters, to everyone who has travelled with us, who has supported us over so many games.
"To the ones who have shared emotions game by game, who have managed to bring us all the way up to this very end of the season.
"We were supposed to play the biggest game of the season. I apologise to the players, who have done absolutely everything that they can.
We done absolutely everything in the last six months to bring this club back to where it belongs. They would have deserved to play the final.
"They would have deserved to play the final with you, just like they've done two years ago, and just like they've done in the semi-final against Man City.
"To see 40,000 of you travelling to Wembley to support the team, the chance to bring the last six months to an end that the season would have deserved.
"It hurts to see the employees of the club, it hurts to see the staff, it hurts to see the players who have invested so much in the preparation for games.
"Those who have invested so much to leave their families at home to recover and to prepare for the games coming up, who had hurt so much.
"To see their pain on the day the decision came in, because it has such a big impact, not just on them and their career, but also on their families.
"I apologise to all of the clubs that have been involved, and mostly I apologise to our supporters."
A necessary statement
Tonda Eckert’s apology means the healing process can now properly start for Southampton.
The club still awaits the FA’s verdict, a body which has the power to ban Eckert and those involved from football, but the statement of intent to keep the German manager is a clear move from Southampton to force their hand.
Spygate has been an enthralling episode - and one every supporter of the football club will be hoping they can move on from as quickly as possible.
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