The punishment dished out to Southampton boss Tonda Eckert for his role in the ‘Spygate scandal’ was more than fair, and everybody should now move on.
That’s the view of ex-Saints chief Gordon Strachan who believes Eckert has “suffered enough” after the fallout of the incident.
It was just last week that Eckert was handed a suspended ban for his role in the episode, where the club admitted spying on training sessions of a clutch of rival Championship clubs. The club were expelled from the play-offs just days before a proposed final against Hull City, with Middlesbrough – one of the teams affected – replacing them in the showpiece at Wembley.
Southampton were also slapped with a four-point deduction for this season. Eckert was given a six-week ban from all football but it was suspended until the end of next season. The German was also fined £28,000.
For Strachan, who bossed Saints between 2001 and 2004, that should now be the end of the matter.
“The punishment is more than fair,” he said. “The situation didn’t benefit anyone. Tonda Eckert made a mistake and has suffered the consequences by missing out on crucial matches and bearing that burden.
“There comes a point where punishment should focus on education rather than destruction. He has taken responsibility for his mistake and deserves the chance to move forward with his career.
“The punishment of not getting up is hard to bear for him. I don’t know the fella but it must be horrifically hard for all that hard work put in for everybody over the year to be taken away.
“Then they get points taken off them, but the punishment of not making that final was more than enough. It’s punished everybody in Southampton.
“He has to live with that. I think there’s a point where enough’s enough when the lad made a mistake, he’ll not make it again, let him get on with enjoying his football.
“He was never the happiest of fellas in the best of times, but he looks like a man who has, and sometimes quite rightly so, had to take the weight of that decision and the consequences. He’s suffered enough, let’s move on now.”
*Strachan was speaking in association with BOYLE Sports who offer the latest Premier League odds.
