Nathan Jones has given his take on Tonda Eckert escaping any further serious sanction for his part in Southampton’s Spygate furore.
The German coach was given a suspended ban by an FA independent regulatory commission earlier this week.
Cambridge United manager Neil Harris, speaking before the verdict, said that Eckert should receive “a huge ban”.
Southampton were booted out of last season’s play-offs and started the current campaign with a four-point deduction after admitting to spying on Oxford United, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough, the last one before the Championship play-off semi-final.
Nathan Jones on the touchline at Southampton last season – Tonda Eckert is in the background/Picture: Kyle Andrews
The FA had been seeking a three-month suspension for Eckert but the commission, who fined him £28,000, said they had factored in the “considerable mitigation in this matter, most particularly around the genuine contrition.”
Charlton face Southampton at The Valley on Boxing Day. The last meeting between the two sides in SE7 was a heavy 5-1 loss for the hosts.
So what did Jones, a former Saints boss for a short spell when they were in the Premier League in the 2022-23 campaign, make of Eckert’s outcome?
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