Newly released WhatsApp messages have shed light on Southampton Football Club's orchestrated spying campaign against Championship rivals, revealing the intense pressure placed on junior staff by head coach Tonda Eckert. The independent disciplinary commission's report details how staff members felt uncomfortable with the morally questionable tasks assigned to them. Southampton admitted to spying on Oxford United and Ipswich Town during the regular season, as well as Middlesbrough before the play-off semi-final. The League Arbitration Panel described the club's actions as a "contrived and determined plan from the top down," approved by Eckert. One intern, who was tasked with observing Oxford United's training, expressed his discomfort in messages, stating he felt he had no option but to comply. After completing his assignment, he received a message praising his efforts, while another analyst voiced his concerns about the spying but was ignored. The scandal escalated when the intern was caught spying on Middlesbrough, prompting Southampton to attempt to erase evidence of the incident from the internet.