Southampton Championship Promotion Odds: Tonda Eckert free to lead Saints Premier League charge after avoiding FA ban

Mark Mothershaw Updated: 1 hour ago

Tonda Eckert is free to lead Southampton's Premier League promotion charge this season after avoiding an FA suspension.

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There were legitimate fears that the Championship club could be on the hunt for an interim or even permanent new boss after the German was found to have orchestrated the 'spygate' scandal that rocked English football earlier this year.

Eckert was proven to have instructed junior members of his backroom team to have spied on opposing teams across the 2025/26 campaign, including play-off semi-final rivals Middlesbrough in the build-up to their first-leg clash in the North East.

The 33-year-old's job appeared to be on the line when Southampton were expelled from the play-offs despite beating Boro across two legs.

However, chairman Dragan Solak provided a staunch defence of his head coach, acknowledging that whilst he had "made a mistake" he retained "the full backing of the club's owners".

The EFL's inquiry saw also culminated in Southampton incurring a four-point deduction for the current campaign, whilst the FA's subsequent investigation has seen Eckert hit with a £28,000 fine as well as six week suspension from football, suspended until the end of next season.

The news means Eckert can resume his duties in charge as he looks to build-upon what has been -- despite the scandal -- a hugely impressive start to life in English football.

Of the 50 matches he has overseen on the south coast, he has won 30 of them, with his side having been beaten on just nine occasions.

This term, despite the recent uncertainty and the four point suspension, the Saints find themselves just three points adrift of the top eight -- a position they are 2/7 to finish in -- having won four and drawn two of their eight league outings.

At 12/1 they are undoubtedly outsiders to win the title, but there 9/4 price for promotion signifies that they are genuine contenders to be plying their trade back in the big league in 12 months time.