Tag: Southampton

George Long: Southampton sign Norwich City goalkeeper on permanent deal
9 June 2026 Off

George Long: Southampton sign Norwich City goalkeeper on permanent deal

By Total Football News

Southampton have signed Norwich City goalkeeper George Long on a permanent deal.

The 32-year-old has agreed a two-year contract at St Mary’s, having spent last season on loan with Saints.

Long spent the season as cover for Alex McCarthy, Gavin Bazunu and Daniel Peretz.

His only appearance came in Southampton’s FA Cup fourth-round win over Leicester City.

Long has played more than 300 games in a career that has taken

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Dragan Solak: Southampton owner on transfer plans
9 June 2026 Off

Dragan Solak: Southampton owner on transfer plans

By Total Football News

A decision over Eckert’s future could be taken out of Solak’s hands should the FA’s ongoing investigation conclude with a verdict that could ban the German coach.

Prior to being thrown out of the play-offs, Saints were flying high as one of the form teams in the second tier.

They went on a run of than 21 games unbeaten in the Championship and made their way to an FA Cup

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Southampton Spygate: Is spying as common in Germany as Tonda Eckert says?
3 June 2026 Off

Southampton Spygate: Is spying as common in Germany as Tonda Eckert says?

By Total Football News

When describing his past experiences of spying in Germany and Italy, where he worked as assistant manager to Patrick Vieira at Genoa, Eckert said: “I don’t want to say this to excuse anything we have done, I just want to give you context of the football world I grew up in.”

Indeed, the Southampton scandal is not the first spying case in which teams Eckert has worked for have been

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Spygate: Southampton owner Dragan Solak will not sack head coach Tonda Eckert
1 June 2026 Off

Spygate: Southampton owner Dragan Solak will not sack head coach Tonda Eckert

By Total Football News

The EFL’s commission said it was “deplorable” of the club to have used junior staff members to “conduct the clandestine observations”.

Solak admitted that such a culture was “unacceptable”, but he blamed “a huge amount of misunderstanding, ignorance and arrogance, we have dysfunctions in the club, but we will actually make an effort for people to understand that whoever orders them to do something, that is putting them out of

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Southampton must be ‘careful’ with finances, says Kieran Maguire
28 May 2026 Off

Southampton must be ‘careful’ with finances, says Kieran Maguire

By Total Football News

Maguire says Southampton could also face legal challenges from other clubs who missed out on a top-six place, as well as their own players.

“I have spoken to some Saints fans – some are being philosophical about it, some are still very angry,” he adds. “I think their anger is directed towards the club more than anybody else. And we still don’t know where we are in terms of, will

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Taylor Harwood-Bellis: Southampton defender regrets spying taunt
23 May 2026 Off

Taylor Harwood-Bellis: Southampton defender regrets spying taunt

By Total Football News

Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis has admitted he regrets taunting Middlesbrough players after his side scored a winner in the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.

After Shea Charles scored in extra-time to – at the time – send Saints through to Wembley, Harwood-Bellis was seen mimicking a pair of binoculars with his hands in the direction of Boro’s Aidan Morris.

Southampton would later be removed from the play-offs after

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Spygate: Who is Tonda Eckert and can he keep his Southampton job?
22 May 2026 Off

Spygate: Who is Tonda Eckert and can he keep his Southampton job?

By Total Football News

When Will Still was sacked by Southampton on 2 November, Saints were in 21st place – three points outside the Championship relegation zone with one win in 13 games.

That is when the club turned to Eckert, who had only arrived at St Mary’s in July 2025 when he replaced a Chelsea-bound Calum McFarlane and took charge of the club’s under-21 team.

He appeared perfect for that academy job.

Eckert’s

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Spygate: Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert authorised spying, panel says
21 May 2026 Off

Spygate: Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert authorised spying, panel says

By Total Football News

The most damning section for the Southampton head coach comes in the second determination of the judgement.

This states the German not only knew about the spying, but also had given his blessing.

Eckert was shown to have approved spying on Oxford to discover their formation after they had just changed manager.

In the case of Middlesbrough, he wanted to find out about the availability of a certain player –

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Southampton star says fans ‘deserved better’ as Spygate appeal dismissed
21 May 2026 Off

Southampton star says fans ‘deserved better’ as Spygate appeal dismissed

By Total Football News

Saints and Sinners: What we know about Spygate

Southampton will now miss out on a game dubbed the richest in world football, with the winners of the play-off final guaranteed a minimum £110m in Premier League broadcast revenue.

What rules did Southampton break?

The EFL charged Saints with breaking two regulations.

  • EFL Regulation 3.4, which requires clubs to act towards each other with
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Harry Redknapp: Southampton punishment ‘very harsh’ but spying ‘stupid beyond belief’
20 May 2026 Off

Harry Redknapp: Southampton punishment ‘very harsh’ but spying ‘stupid beyond belief’

By Total Football News

Former Southampton manager Harry Redknapp feels the decision to expel the club from the Championship play-offs for the ‘Spygate’ scandal is a “very harsh” call.

Saints were set to face Hull City in Saturday’s Wembley final but have now been replaced by Middlesbrough after an independent disciplinary commission removed them from the play-offs and docked them four points for next season.

Redknapp, who managed Southampton for 48 matches between 2004

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