Dragan Solak comes to Tonda Eckert's rescue and offers Southampton ultimatum

Southampton owner and club chairman Dragan Solak ends the uncertainty of Tonda Eckert’s future by backing the young manager to continue at the club.

The last 24 hours have seen a dramatic turnaround in feelings in and around St. Mary’s. While the club’s statement dated 1st June 2026 exacerbated the existing Spygate crisis, the latest apology message from club owner Dragan Solak has genuinely helped the situation.

The club chairman directly addressed the fans regarding everything they endured over the last few weeks. By taking responsibility for what happened and outlining the next steps to recover from the incident, Solak’s message has won back the fans’ support to a considerable extent.

One of the key announcements that has resonated well with the club faithful has been Solak’s call to stand by manager Tonda Eckert. Despite Eckert being a key figure in the Spygate scandal, the owner has backed him, as Solak believes he is the ideal figure to lead the club back to glory.

Speaking to the BBC in a detailed interview, Solak said: “I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him. My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he’s a super-talented manager.”

Dragan Solak offers a second chance to Eckert but with ultimatum

Southampton owner Dragan Solak has provided Eckert with security over his role. Given that the past few weeks have been tough for the Southampton collective, Solak sees a no‑layoff policy paired with a demand for better conduct as the way to grow from the Spygate scandal.

This decision has a lot to do with the upward trajectory the club has seen under Eckert. While Solak has witnessed multiple managers come and go during his four‑year spell at the Saints, there has hardly been any who has delivered the sporting results Eckert has achieved so far.

Be it an impressive 21‑game unbeaten streak in the Championship or a memorable FA Cup run, Eckert has surely impressed Solak enough to receive such backing. But while the owner is ready to move on from what happened, he didn’t forget to issue an ultimatum to Eckert going forward.

Speaking to the BBC, Solak said: “I told him: ‘You almost broke my heart. You do it again, you’ll kill me. The next time I see you in July, if you don’t know the EFL book of rules by heart, you can’t work for me. Because we can’t have another mistake.'”

While the quote hints at Solak’s affection for the young manager, it also shows that the owner will never risk the club’s reputation again. With Eckert expected to have learned his lesson, the gaffer now faces the task of replicating his 2026 results, this time with the fairest possible conduct.

Solak’s message hints at Eckert’s continual irrespective of FA decision

Considering that Southampton already have a brilliant group of players and a talented manager in place, they are backing their existing staff for another promotion push. But what needs to be understood is that the Spygate tale may still have a final twist.

That’s because the FA is yet to deliver its final verdict on Tonda Eckert and every individual involved in the scandal. If the FA decides to sanction or ban Eckert for a certain period, Southampton might be unable to continue with the gaffer in a key season.

However, a ray of hope remains in that Solak’s message may have already addressed the concern.

If Eckert receives a temporary ban from managing in the EFL, Southampton would want him to remain part of the sporting staff. That way, the manager could retain a significant say in sporting matters while staying at the club, and resume his full role once the ban ends.

However, the real problem could arise for Southampton if Tonda Eckert is banned from holding any managerial or staff role in English football for a significant period. Given the Serie A interest in him, the Saints could be forced to let their manager go ahead of a decisive season.

Overall, Solak and Eckert’s recent apologies have won back the fans’ support to a considerable extent. But that does not close the Spygate chapter for the club, as Southampton now await an important FA verdict on their manager’s future.