News · 2 June 2026
Southampton boss made staff spy on other clubs
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
Southampton's head coach, Tonda Eckert, made junior staff spy on rival teams, which led to the club's playoff expulsion. New documents and WhatsApp messages reveal Eckert initiated the spying before a Boxing Day game, pressuring interns to record training sessions. One intern was told "You legend. Manager loved it" after sending details from an Oxford United training session.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs