Harry Redknapp filmed making crude joke about England boss Thomas Tuchel being ‘a German SPY’ who has been ‘sent over to f*** us up’
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has been secretly filmed joking that German manager Thomas Tuchel had been ‘sent over to f*** us up’ after taking the England job.
Speaking at a venue in London last week, Redknapp, 78, was discussing the appointment of Tuchel as England’s head coach, and whether he was the right person to replace Gareth Southgate.
The decision to appoint the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss was met with a mixed response due to his nationality, despite his proven record of winning silverware at club level.
He did however make a comfortable, winning start to his tenure last week, with a 2-0 win over Albania followed by a 3-0 victory against Latvia.
Redknapp admitted he was a fan of Southgate, but was not sure of Tuchel.
Some reports had also alleged Redknapp appeared to make a ‘Nazi salute’ but video footage obtained by The Guardian was far from conclusive.
Harry Redknapp was filmed making a crude joke about Thomas Tuchel at an event last week
Tuchel has made the perfect start to his England career with two wins from two matches
‘I liked Gareth Southgate, I liked him a lot, but we should have won something,’ Redknapp began, before aiming a joke at Tuchel.
‘I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s a German spy,’ he claimed, prompting laughter from his audience.
‘I’m telling you. Seriously, he’s been sent over to f*** us up. He has. I’m telling ya, he’s like Lord Haw Haw in the war – “We have your best soldiers captured” and all that.’
‘”Go over and ruin that team”,’ he continues, before saying: ‘Ja’ in a German accent.
He then leaves the stage claiming he needs to ‘see my accountant’ and stating that he had not been paid for his appearance at the event.
Footage of the event is thought to have been taken from before England’s recent round of international matches.
Redknapp himself was heavily linked with the England job after Fabio Capello resigned in 2012, but the FA instead opted for Roy Hodgson.
Redknapp has been approached by Mail Sport for comment.
