SAINTS head coach Tonda Eckert insisted he is "not surprised" the FA hearing report "draws a different image" from the EFL's verdict in May.
The regulatory commission described Eckert as an "exceptionally impressive witness", having heard his evidence, and accepted his remorse was genuine.
Its findings contrasted with those of the EFL commission, which criticised the culture at Saints and concluded junior staff had been placed under pressure.
The EFL proceedings were concluded in days, while the FA process took more than four months, during which Eckert was able to explain his actions.
Eckert, while still sanctioned for his overall role in the scandal, admitted he is not surprised that the two reports varied significantly as a result.
"If you want to manage in the game, you have to accept everyone is entitled to have an opinion about what you do and what you don't do," said Eckert.
READ: Why Eckert was not hit with ban: A deeper look at the FA verdict
"At the same time, sometimes it is not so easy to accept that there is a certain image of you portrayed out in the public. It's been a long process.
"I was not able to comment on it for a long time, so therefore you need to accept that there's an image out there that I don't feel portrays me.
"I think that we have a very good atmosphere here in the training ground and up in the office. You can only perform the way we do if you have that.
"I'm happy that I had the chance to share this with the commission, and that I had the chance to share this with the FA when we did our interview.
"I'm not surprised that this draws a completely different image to the one that has been portrayed after the EFL's hearing and reasons."
The FA commission accepted that junior employees had felt under pressure but found insufficient evidence that Eckert created or applied it.
The FA itself acknowledged there was "no direct evidence" of him doing so. Nevertheless, Eckert has taken steps to improve communication.
He held meetings to understand why staff had not challenged his requests, and also took his coaching staff to Berlin for two days to discuss the scandal.
Eckert subsequently emailed employees, stressing that his door was always open and reminding them that concerns could be raised anonymously.
The commission credited his efforts to change the culture, saying he had gone to "quite extraordinary lengths" to understand his mistakes.
"I think that pressure is universal in football if we start with that. There is a pressure to perform because my job is to win football games," said Eckert.
"That is the job of everyone who manages a football club. At the same time, there's a pressure that might be perceived by people within the football club.
"We need to differentiate whether they are connected to performance or if they're connected to morals or ethics. There should be a way to raise that.
"I had the whole coaching staff in Berlin, and we had many conversations. We've found ways to communicate, even if you don't want to in person.
"We have made sure that you have a chance to express yourself indirectly. I'm sure we have an environment that is competitive but in a very healthy way."
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