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Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-offs last month after admitting that they spied on their semi-final opponents, Middlesbrough.

Head coach Tonda Eckert has publicly apologised for his role in orchestrating the ‘Spygate’ incident, accepting complete responsibility for “everything that has happened”.

The south coast club was disqualified from the play-offs after confessing that a junior intern had been sent to observe a Middlesbrough training session.

The English Football League (EFL) described Southampton’s actions as “deplorable”, stating that the club had exerted pressure on a young staff member to spy on Boro. The EFL concluded that head coach Eckert had authorised the spying mission.

In a video released through the club’s media channels, Eckert said, “I will try to be as honest and clear as possible. For everything that has happened, I apologise and take full responsibility, because as head coach, I am accountable for everything that occurs at this football club.”

Alongside spying on Middlesbrough, the Saints were also found guilty of monitoring Ipswich and Oxford during the regular season.

“I want to apologise to all the clubs involved, and most importantly, to our supporters,” Eckert continued, explaining that observing rival teams’ training sessions is common in other countries. “When I worked in Italy for over four years, our starting line-ups were often leaked in the media before matches because training sessions, especially pre-match ones, were regularly watched by the press and by opposing teams.”

He added, “(Pep) Guardiola mentioned during his time at Bayern Munich that it was normal practice in Germany to watch opponent training sessions, knowing others did the same. I’m not saying this to justify our actions, but to provide context about the football culture I experienced.”

Despite the controversy, Southampton owner Dragan Solak has confirmed that he will not dismiss Eckert. The League Arbitration Panel published its written reasons on Monday for rejecting Southampton’s appeal against their expulsion.

During the investigation, one WhatsApp exchange revealed an analyst telling an intern, “You legend. Manager loved it.”

Eckert was expected to lose his position following the expulsion and replacement of Southampton with Middlesbrough, who eventually reached the Wembley final. The incident cost the club a potential promotion to the Premier League and a financial windfall of nearly £200 million.

Shortly before Eckert’s video statement, club owner Solak issued a message of support for the 33-year-old. “Tonda’s tenure as our head coach has been successful so far. Our form in 2026 has been outstanding, and we believe he is the right person to lead us forward,” said Solak. “As a board, we stand fully behind him, and our single goal remains securing promotion back to the Premier League.”

Responding to that support, Eckert said, “I am a young coach, I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility. I want to thank Dragan and the board for their backing, especially in tough times like this. Speaking from the heart, without a script or prepared statement, I hope you now have a clearer picture of what has happened over recent weeks. I ask for your understanding and forgiveness, and I hope to see you all soon.”

In addition to being excluded from the play-offs, Southampton have been handed a four-point deduction ahead of next season. The Football Association has also launched its own investigation into the matter.