More than four months after the Spygate scandal broke into the open, Southampton manager Tonda Eckert is finally close to learning whether he will be personally banned by the Football Association. A disciplinary hearing is set for Thursday, following the misconduct charge the FA issued against the 33-year-old German coach in July.

A punishment already without precedent

The sequence of events that brought Southampton to this point is stark. An EFL independent disciplinary commission found that Eckert had orchestrated a "contrived and determined plan" to spy on Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough ahead of last season's play-offs. The consequence was expulsion from the Championship play-off final, a result that cost the club their shot at promotion, a prize the club's own chief executive Phil Parsons values at around £200 million. The EFL then docked Southampton four points to carry into the current Championship campaign.

The points deduction is already distorting this season's picture. Without it, Southampton would currently sit fourth in the table; with it, they are 13th. Eckert describes the combined effect as "absolutely unheard of in the history of sports", though he is careful to acknowledge his own part in bringing it about. "I've asked for forgiveness for what I've done. I've apologised publicly," he told BBC Sport in an exclusive interview. "The punishment has been very hard on the club for the last season. And to go into a new season on minus four. And the rest is not for me to decide."

Parsons breaks his silence

In his first interview on the matter, chief executive Phil Parsons made plain the club's position without quite asking the FA to go easy. "We don't know what the FA will actually hand out," he said. "It could be a long ban. It could be a short ban. It could be a suspended sentence. What we hope as a club is they actually recognise where we are at the moment, and what we've already been through, because I think it has to be taken into account. I really feel like we've taken enough."

Parsons was keen to broaden the frame beyond the club's balance sheet. "This isn't just about the club, this is about people. We lose money not being in the Premier League, but local businesses lose money. We had to spend a huge amount on legal fees, and it really impacts the club even further." The language is considered, but the message is press-release plain: Southampton believe they have already paid a significant price and that any further punishment should reflect that.

He also raised a structural point worth noting: "I think it's impossible to sanction the manager without the club getting hurt even more." Whether the FA agrees is, of course, the question Thursday is intended to answer.

Eckert's position at the club

Southampton's owner confirmed in June that Eckert would not be dismissed, and the manager himself says the club has backed him throughout. The source also reveals that the intern who was physically caught observing Middlesbrough's training session in May has since been given a permanent role at the club, a detail that is likely to attract its own scrutiny.

Eckert says he spent almost four hours speaking with FA investigators and believes he was heard. "That was my impression," he said, when asked whether the FA had listened. On the prospect of a suspension he refuses to be drawn, saying only that the decision is not his to make.

What it means for the season

Southampton's form on the pitch has been encouraging in the early weeks of the Championship campaign, which makes the off-field uncertainty all the more frustrating for supporters. The four-point deduction is a real and ongoing drag; a managerial ban, depending on its length, would introduce another layer of disruption to a club that is already trying to rebuild credibility as well as a promotion challenge.

The FA hearing on Thursday will not necessarily produce an immediate public verdict, but it is the decisive moment in a process that has hung over St Mary's since the spring. For now, Eckert and the club wait.

Frequently asked

What punishment has Southampton already received for Spygate?
Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-off final last season and had four points deducted to carry into the current campaign. The club also faced substantial legal costs during the EFL disciplinary process.
Could Tonda Eckert be banned as a result of the FA hearing?
Yes. The FA charged Eckert with misconduct in July and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday. The outcome could range from a suspended sentence to a ban of unspecified length, though no decision has yet been announced.
How has the Spygate points deduction affected Southampton's Championship season?
The four-point deduction imposed by the EFL means Southampton currently sit around 13th in the Championship table. Without it, the club say they would be sitting fourth.