MANCHESTER, England (AP) – Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has been charged by the English Football Association with involvement in the match. spy scandal It shocked English football last season.
The FA announced on Wednesday that Eckert had been charged in three separate cases: came to light During the playoffs at the end of the season.
Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-off final in May after admitting spying on other teams, including semi-final opponents Middlesbrough.
The FA said Eckert was suspected of “acting inappropriately and/or bringing the game into disrepute”, such as allowing players to watch their opponents practice.
Southampton were charged by the English Football League with filming Middlesbrough’s practice session without permission ahead of their two-match semi-final, with Southampton winning and one match away from promotion to the Premier League.
He was banned from the finals after admitting spying on Oxford United and Ipswich earlier in the season. The EFL also imposed a four point deduction for next season, but Middlesbrough returned to the final despite losing. 1-0 victory over Hull City.
The arbitration panel exposed Mr. Eckert’s influence in the scandal, saying it was “a determined plan devised from the top down to gain a competitive advantage” and that the analysts who conducted the unauthorized filming “felt pressure to make the observations that Mr. Eckert and his senior coaches wanted.”
By being expelled from the play-offs, Southampton were denied the chance of promotion to the top flight and a guaranteed future income of at least $270 million.
Despite the controversy, Southampton said they stood by their manager’s position.
“As a board, we fully support him,” owner Dragan Šolak said in June. “Together we have only one goal: to get promotion back to the Premier League.”
Eckert also said in June: “I made a mistake” and “take full responsibility.”
Eckert has until July 28 to respond to the FA’s charges.
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