Southampton's head coach Tonda Eckert has been charged by the FA with bringing the game into disrepute under Rule E3.1 over alleged spying of Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough ahead of matches against Southampton between late 2025 and spring 2026.

Eckert had already acknowledged responsibility in a June statement and apologized for the disruption caused.

The club publicly backed Eckert, stressing their goal of Premier League promotion and their willingness to cooperate with the FA.

Investigations show Eckert ordered analysts to spy on Oxford and Ipswich during the season, and he told fans spying was common in Germany, while saying he did not realize English rules prohibited it.

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg declined to comment beyond acknowledging the ongoing process and offering best wishes to Eckert.

The FA has not announced the punishment yet, noting that similar guilty verdicts have resulted in fines or suspensions in the past.

The case is relatively rare in precedent; for instance, Bielsa was not charged in a similar spying incident, though the EFL has fined Bielsa and FIFA sanctioned Bev Priestman for drone-enabled surveillance.

Historically, the FA warned Leeds United figures in 2019 for spying on Derby, indicating a precedent for sanctions in similar cases.

Eckert issued an apology for the damage and distraction caused by the scandal.

Oxford United, then under caretaker manager Craig Short after a December sacking, were one of the spying targets; Oxford later finished 22nd and were relegated to League One.

A potential ban of up to two years could be imposed, with fines or suspended touchline bans among possible outcomes depending on the FA’s ruling.

The spying operation involved junior staff, with intern William Salt identified as filming Middlesbrough, and investigations also noted monitoring Oxford United’s setup and Hayden Hackney’s fitness.