# Spygate put me in a difficult position – Southampton technical chief

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/spygate-put-me-in-a-difficult-position-southampton-technical-chief/
- Published: 2026-10-23T17:23:21+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:40:57+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Sport (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cmjrwjl1j27do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Sport

## Key points

- Spors says the spying scandal made summer planning difficult.
- Southampton backed head coach Tonda Eckert.
- Eckert was fined £28,000 and given a suspended ban.

## Summary

Southampton group technical director Johannes Spors says the club’s spying scandal left him planning for the season amid uncertainty over head coach Tonda Eckert’s future. Southampton chose to keep Eckert after he admitted his mistakes, with Spors saying he and owner Dragan Solak were aligned in backing him.

In May, Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-offs and deducted four points for spying on three clubs. The Football Association later fined Eckert £28,000 and suspended a six-week ban until the end of next season, allowing him to remain in charge. After 11 league matches, Southampton are eighth and unbeaten at home, with five wins and one draw.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.