Spygate soccer coach gets six-week suspended ban

Eckert accepted full responsibility and was charged by the FA with three breaches of Rule E3.1 in relation to "misconduct", which hung over Southampton and their manager heading into the new campaign.

A statement from the governing body read: "Tonda Eckert subsequently admitted the charges, and an independent Regulatory Commission imposed a six-week suspension from all football and football related activity, which is suspended until the end of the 2027/28 season, a £28,000 fine and a reprimand following a hearing.

"The suspended sanction will come into effect in the event he is found to have committed a breach of Rules or Regulations by requesting, authorising, taking, or using information from any observation of the training of another club, in whatever guise that observation may take."

Southampton said "this now brings a conclusion to a regrettable period of our history".

The club, who sit 13th in the Championship, say "measures have been put in place to ensure that such errors in judgement never happen again at our club" and they are "excited to move forward together towards a bright future".

Southampton owner Dragan Solak said: "I'm pleased that the independent panel has come to a decision and that we have an outcome.

"We have already suffered enough, and we appreciate the panel's recognition of that.

"We are confident the manager has learned from this matter, and a suspended sentence allows him to continue in his role.

"The FA process has been a positive experience. Tonda has been given the opportunity to be open and honest with the panel, and the panel has been able to see that he is simply a good person who made poor decisions.

"The same cannot be said for the EFL process, and the way they have subsequently treated us is not something we will forget.

"However, now is the time to look forward to what I believe will be a great future for our club."

The English Football League declined to comment.