Johannes Spors did not know, when he sat down to build Southampton's Championship squad last summer, whether the man he had appointed as head coach would still be in a job by the time August arrived. That uncertainty, the group technical director now admits, made his position deeply uncomfortable.

"Of course, it did put me into a difficult position," Spors told BBC Radio Solent. "It was something that probably no-one, or at least not many sporting directors have experienced, planning into a season and a squad with that level of uncertainty."

The source of that uncertainty was Spygate. In May, the Football Association found Southampton guilty of spying on three rival clubs during the Championship season. The punishment was severe: expulsion from the play-offs and a four-point deduction. A separate personal investigation into head coach Tonda Eckert then opened, carrying the possibility of a ban that could have ended his tenure at St Mary's before it had properly begun.

The club chose not to wait for the outcome before making their call. Spors, appointed group technical director in February 2025, backed Eckert publicly and privately throughout the summer months, pressing ahead with pre-season preparations while the FA investigation ran its course.

"I only felt one choice and I'm happy that everybody around me, including Dragan Solak, was very aligned," Spors said. "We decided to go this route and take it with all consequences and I'm happy we've done that."

The personal dimension mattered as much to Spors as the professional one. Eckert, a young German coach thrust into the spotlight of a high-profile club and a significant scandal simultaneously, needed support that went beyond tactical conversations.

"We cannot forget that he's a young man with a lot going on in his life, coming into a new country as an unknown and being on the highest level of recognition pretty quickly," Spors said. "I just wanted to make sure that he's OK as a human being. I helped him with everything I can with my knowledge, my expertise, but also my friendship."

The two men share close to a decade of professional history. Spors worked with Eckert in Italy and at Red Bull, and played a direct role in shaping the coach's career, including his pro licence. That background made the decision to stand behind him feel instinctive rather than calculated.

"I was super convinced that he would be the right choice," Spors said. "Our relationship is close, we speak to each other nearly every day and support each other; we can also have hard discussions behind closed doors, where we challenge each other and I think that's as important as the support."

The uncertainty lifted in early October when the FA confirmed Eckert would receive a £28,000 fine and a six-week ban suspended until the end of next season. He remains in the dugout and, on the evidence of the opening weeks of the Championship campaign, the decision to retain him has paid off.

Southampton sit eighth in the table after 11 matches, with the best home record in the division. Five wins and a draw at St Mary's leave them unbeaten on their own ground, a platform that Spors, watching from the directors' box alongside chief executive Phil Parsons, will have noted with quiet satisfaction.

Before his arrival at Southampton, Spors accumulated six sporting director roles at clubs across Europe, including Standard Liege in Belgium and Genoa in Italy. That breadth of experience equipped him for many scenarios. Planning a season around a coach whose future hinged on an ongoing investigation was, by his own admission, a new one.

That it has resolved in Southampton's favour does not diminish how precarious the situation felt. It simply confirms that the club, its board, and its technical leadership held their nerve when they needed to most.

Frequently asked

What was the Spygate punishment for Southampton?
Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-offs and handed a four-point deduction after admitting they spied on three rival clubs during the season.
What happened to Tonda Eckert after the Spygate investigation?
The FA fined Eckert £28,000 and issued a six-week ban, which was suspended until the end of the following season, allowing him to continue as Southampton head coach.
Who is Johannes Spors at Southampton?
Johannes Spors is Southampton's group technical director, appointed in February 2025. He previously held sporting director roles at clubs including Standard Liege and Genoa.