Southampton boss Tonda Eckert reveals manager support after Spygate

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has revealed that a number of managers contacted him following the fallout from the club’s Spygate scandal.

Eckert is preparing to take charge of Southampton in a Championship fixture for the first time since the club were expelled from last season’s play-off final, with the Saints set to travel to Watford on Sunday.

The German manager has previously spoken about the abuse he received in the aftermath of the controversy, but has now revealed that fellow managers reached out to him during the summer.

Eckert said he received messages from coaches in both England and Germany, including several managers from the Bundesliga.

“Quite a few,” Eckert said when asked about the contact he received.

“A lot that I haven’t been in touch with before, a few English ones, some that I have reached out to, and some that have reached out to me.”

The Southampton boss explained that the conversations gave him an opportunity to learn from managers with significantly more experience of English football.

He also revealed that he deliberately used the summer to speak to experienced coaches and gain a deeper understanding of the culture surrounding the English game.

“A lot of German ones from the Bundesliga,” Eckert added. “I have used the summer not only to go through 131 rules and appendixes, but also to connect to some managers who have been in the game for a lot longer than me, with a lot more experience than myself, in England for a long, long time.”

For Eckert, the experience has highlighted that understanding football in England goes beyond simply knowing the rules.

He believes appreciating the culture behind those regulations is equally important, particularly after the events that resulted in Southampton being punished.

“I think there are two things: the rules and regulations are one, but more important is the culture behind that,” he said.

“As much as I can study rules and regulations, I think the deeper understanding is how they come about.”

Eckert added that his conversations have not been restricted solely to football managers.

“You need to dive deeper into the culture, and I have done that in many conversations with English managers, not just football, but other sports.”

The Southampton boss will now look to put those lessons into practice when his side begin their latest Championship campaign at Watford, with the Spygate controversy continuing to form an important backdrop to Eckert’s return to competitive action.