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Harry Redknapp called Thomas Tuchel a German spy and appeared to perform a Nazi salute during a discussion about the England head coach at a charity event.
Redknapp, the former Portsmouth, Tottenham and West Ham manager, was speaking in front of an audience at a London venue last week. The Guardian has seen footage of the 78-year-old’s remarks about Tuchel, which came when he was asked whether England were right to appoint the German.
“I don’t know,” Redknapp said before making comments designed to amuse his audience. “I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s a German spy. I’m telling you. Seriously, he’s been sent over to fuck 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.”
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Redknapp soon imagines an instruction given to Tuchel – “‘Go over and ruin that team” – before putting on a German accent, saying “Ja” and lifting his left arm in a manner that appeared to resemble a Nazi salute.
The comments about Tuchel and the gesture that Redknapp made were met with laughter from the audience.
Redknapp then said: “I’m going, I’ve got to go and see my accountant.” He laughed as the crowd cheered and applauded. He finished by revealing that he had not received payment for his appearance.
The remarks were made before Tuchel’s first two games in charge of England, a 2-0 win over Albania last Friday and a 3-0 victory against Latvia on Monday.
Tuchel is the first German and, after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, the third foreigner to manage the England men’s team. His appointment in October 2024 received a mixed response, with the Daily Mail’s back page declaring it was “A dark day for England [as] Three Lions gamble on a German.”
The German ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, said at the time: “I think it’s a small minority that thinks that and I found it a bit outdated. The side has had foreign coaches before, so to have a foreigner is nothing new. It’s a brave decision, but it’s a very clear and a very clever one.”
The Guardian has attempted to contact Redknapp for a response.
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