Southampton owner will not sack head coach Eckert

Southampton owner Dragan Solak says he will not sack Tonda Eckert, despite the "mistake" the head coach made when authorising a spying campaign against rival Championship clubs.

"I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him," the Serb businessman told BBC Sport in an exclusive interview.

"My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he's a super-talented manager."

After a short spell as caretaker boss, Eckert was appointed on a permanent basis in December to lead a Southampton side who were involved in a relegation fight. He guided them not only to safety but to the Championship promotion play-offs after a fourth-place finish.

However, Saints were expelled from the play-offs after admitting observing opponents' training sessions, and they have been deducted four points for the 2026-27 season.

An independent disciplinary commission said that Eckert, the club's 33-year-old German boss, accepted he had orchestrated what it called a "contrived and determined plan from the top down".

On Monday, it was revealed that a junior member of staff claimed that Eckert's proposals had placed them "under extreme pressure" to carry out a task they were uncomfortable with and felt was morally wrong.

Details emerged after the publication of the written reasons of an arbitration panel appointed to hear Southampton's appeal against their punishment. Eckert was said to be "surprised" to learn that EFL regulations prohibited the practice.