Southampton owner Dragan Solak has broken his silence on the club's explosive spying scandal by insisting head coach Tonda Eckert will keep his job despite admitting he made a serious error in judgement.
The Saints chief has thrown his full support behind the 33-year-old German, arguing the punishment already handed to the club is sufficient and insisting Eckert deserves a second chance.
Southampton were kicked out of the Championship play-offs and hit with a four-point deduction for next season after admitting to observing the training sessions of rival clubs during the campaign.
The controversy centred on Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough, with an independent disciplinary commission concluding that Eckert had overseen what was described as a deliberate and organised operation.
Yet Solak remains firmly behind the manager who transformed Southampton's season after taking charge on a permanent basis in December.
Speaking to the BBC, the Serbian businessman said: "I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him.
"My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he's a super-talented manager."
Eckert inherited a Southampton side battling near the bottom end of the Championship but engineered a remarkable turnaround, guiding the club into the play-off positions after a fourth-place finish.
Southampton owner Dragan Solak has broken his silence on the club's explosive spying scandal by insisting head coach Tonda Eckert will keep his job despite admitting he made a serious error in judgement
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That achievement ultimately counted for nothing after the spying scandal emerged, costing Saints a shot at an immediate return to the Premier League and the riches that come with it.
Solak believes the punishment was excessive and suggested the club had already paid a heavy price.
"The punishment that the club received was severe and completely disproportionate to the mistake that we made," he said.
"We lost our chance to win £200m."
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Written reasons released this week revealed a junior member of staff felt "under extreme pressure" to carry out tasks linked to the operation despite concerns about its morality.
However, Solak insists he accepts Eckert's explanation that he was unaware such practices breached EFL regulations.
"I believe Tonda that he didn't know that it was the rule that he was breaking," Solak said.
The Southampton owner also claimed observing opponents' training sessions is viewed differently elsewhere in Europe.
"In Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about," he added.
Nevertheless, Solak revealed he has delivered a stern warning to his manager.
"I told him: 'You almost broke my heart. You do it again, you'll kill me,'" Solak said.
"The next time I see you in July, if you don't know the EFL book of rules by heart, you can't work for me."
Southampton owner Dragan Solak has fired a warning to Tonda Eckert after the spying row that shamed the club
| REUTERSThe Football Association is still investigating the matter and Eckert could yet face further action, including a potential touchline ban.
Even if that happens, Solak insists his backing will not waver.
"I can support him even if he's banned, but I can't make him manage if he's banned," he said.
"But he will have my support through the process."
Solak went even further by claiming Eckert's reputation has actually been enhanced despite the controversy.
"I'm pretty sure if the FA decides to ban him, he will get a triple better-paid job in Italy or Germany," he said.
The Southampton owner then rejected suggestions the spying operation amounted to a sustained campaign, pointing out it involved only three matches during a 46-game Championship season.
"It was three times out of 46 games," he said. "If he would do it on an industrial level, he would do it on every game. Right?"