The future of Southampton’s manager, Tonda Eckert, remains uncertain as he awaits the outcome of a detailed Football Association (FA) investigation into last season’s spygate scandal.

In May, the English Football League (EFL) expelled Southampton from the Championship playoff final against Hull after discovering that a club intern had spied on Middlesbrough’s training session prior to their semi-final match. Eckert and the club admitted to the EFL that he had “specifically authorised” similar operations against two other teams, Oxford and Ipswich.

Key details include:

• William Salt, the 23-year-old intern, has been offered a permanent analyst role in Southampton’s academy.
• Both Salt and Eckert could face severe sanctions, including potential 12-month suspensions from all football activities, following precedents set by Fifa.

Eckert was interviewed by the FA earlier this month. The 33-year-old German has maintained a low profile during the summer but is overseeing pre-season training, despite a four-point deduction imposed by the EFL due to the spygate incident.

On Saturday, Eckert’s team will play their first pre-season friendly against non-league Eastleigh, where he is expected to address reporters for the first time this summer. Although there were thoughts of sacking Eckert in May, club owner Dragan Solak has publicly supported him, stating he deserves a second chance.

The EFL’s decision to expel Southampton was heavily critical, describing the club’s actions as a “contrived and determined plan” for obtaining illicit information. The disciplinary panel viewed the pressure placed on Salt as “particularly deplorable.” The EFL cited the Canada case involving Bev Priestman as a precedent in their ruling.

Southampton has not responded to requests for comment from the media.