He broke the rules, cost his club the chance of a £200m jacket, and still kept his job. If one manager personifies how detached from the real world football has become – it has to be Tonda Eckert. Despite bringing his club and English football into disrepute following a blatant act of cheating, Eckert will be given a ‘second chance’.

Those are the words of Southampton owner Dragan Solak. Instead of breathing fire, this Dragan is holding out an olive branch instead. But it’s impossible to fathom who is being the most naive here – Eckert or the bloke still willing to keep him in a job?

“I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him,” said Solak. “My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he’s a super-talented manager.”

Because he led the Saints to the brink of promotion to the Premier League.

But fell on his own sword, having got caught spying on play-off rivals Middlesbrough.

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But Solak’s defence of Eckert cannot be justified.

Not when Eckert got a young intern to do his dirty work for him.

While Solak has insisted Eckert didn’t know the rules, because “in Italy or in Germany, where Tonda was working, this is basically common practice that nobody cares about.”

Memo to Solak – Eckert isn’t working in Europe, mate. He’s working in England – and should know the rules. That’s part of his job.

In a rare outbreak of common sense, Solak did admit: “I don’t see really this culture when somebody is really making junior staff do something they don’t want.

“I believe that our junior intern felt personally it’s wrong, and he didn’t feel right for doing this, and I think he should have expressed that stronger.

“I have a lot of pity. I’m sorry for what he had to go through. And we obviously would like him to stay in the club and we offered him a prolonged job with the club.”

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The intern has been promoted. The manager remains. While much has changed for these Saints who turned to sinners, then again some things haven’t.

Eckert could still face a long ban from the Football Association.

And where would this leave Solak and his side?

Still with a manager who appears to remain bombproof on the south coast, that’s where.

And the most ironic aspect of all is this.

Should the Saints make a losing start to the new season, the chances are Eckert will get sacked.

For losing games, not cheating.