The repercussions from the Spygate scandal is in full force, with Southampton’s appeal against the decision to ban them from the Championship play-offs refused.

After an independent commission hearing booted the Saints out of the competition and Middlesbrough was reinstated in their place, the South Coast club issued an official statement expressing their dissatisfaction, which largely went unheard.

Tonda Eckert’s and some of his backroom staff’s futures are now in peril.

While the club plans to conduct its own investigation into what happened, the FA has now stepped in, making it a difficult time for the German.

The FA has launched an inquiry into Southampton, with Tonda Eckert expected to face charges.

Eckert’s future at St Mary’s Stadium is undoubtedly untenable with all of the disclosures from the Spygate incident this week, with many speculating that the German will be unable to retain his post in the aftermath of the nation-rocking issue.

Southampton were found guilty of spying on Middlesbrough’s training session, as well as viewing Ipswich Town and Oxford United’s earlier in the season.

Leaked WhatsApp communications did not help Saints’ head coach either, as it was revealed that two of the club’s analysts provided proof claiming they were coerced into two of the espionage missions.

According to The Times, the FA has launched an investigation into Southampton in connection with Spygate and will decide on charges against people, including Eckert.

They said the football regulatory body will look into any involvement by anyone in a prominent position at the club, and if they commissioned the activities, they can expect to be charged.

According to the publication, the probe will likely focus on Eckert, technical director Johannes Spors, and William Salt, who was spotted documenting Boro’s training session.

According to reports, Eckert might face an 18-month ban from the FA, forcing Southampton’s hand.

In addition to any punishment, the 33-year-old could lose his three manager-of-the-month titles.

What’s next for Southampton?

The Saints’ immediate future is bleak, with not only their Premier League hopes dashed, but also the club’s reputation tarnished.

To begin, the South Coast club must try to turn this scenario around and take advantage of this opportunity to restart from the ground up.

It seems only a matter of time until Eckert leaves, which is unfortunate given his great work in turning the club around, but he has played a huge role in this debacle.

Then it would be natural if Southampton’s star players left, with Leo Scienza, Shea Charles, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, among others, expected to seek top-flight opportunities.

That will undoubtedly be sad, but Saints fans understand that failure to achieve promotion means losing their finest players, whereas success would produce significant funds for a reconstruction.

However, with members of the Saints’ team apparently considering legal action against the club over unpaid promotion bonuses and wage hikes, it’s not just the failure to return to the promised land that could spark a potentially chaotic exodus in the coming weeks and months.

Obviously, there may be a decision pending from Sport Republic, the club’s ownership, who have divided fans since their purchase in 2022, but there is no indication that they will move on.

Overall, Southampton has had a terrible couple of weeks, but now they must try to recover from a very horrible month of May.