Southampton's sporting director has indicated the club is prepared for a potential Football Association ban for manager Tonda Eckert after the 'Spygate' scandal. The club is still hoping for a positive resolution.
The Saints have already faced severe penalties, including expulsion from the Championship play-off final and a four-point deduction for the upcoming season. These sanctions followed the club's admission of three EFL regulation breaches for illicitly monitoring semi-final opponents Middlesbrough and two other teams.
Eckert accepted full responsibility for the affair, a position publicly backed by Southampton owner Dragan Solak. The German manager now faces three FA charges under Rule E3.1 for "misconduct."
Saints’ group technical director Johannes Spors stated the club is thinking about different scenarios to be prepared for any disciplinary action. Chief executive Phil Parsons said the timeline for the FA hearing is unclear, with a September hearing a possibility.