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Harry Redknapp says his description of England’s head coach, Thomas Tuchel, as a “German spy” was a “joke that badly backfired”.
The 78-year-old former manager, who had successful spells at Spurs, West Ham and Portsmouth but never landed the England job, also talked up Eddie Howe’s credentials as the best man to lead the Three Lions.
Redknapp, speaking with the news channel Al Arabiya, was asked about remarks he made at a public event in March, when he also appeared to perform a Nazi salute. The incident was first reported by the Guardian.
“No, don’t go there,” Redknapp said. “Oh my God, it was a joke, you know, that badly backfired. But it was only a joke.”
During the event in London, Redknapp was asked whether it was right for the FA to appoint Tuchel as the third foreign manager of the England men’s team, after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
“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.”
He went on to imagine an instruction to Tuchel: “‘Go over and ruin that team” – before mimicking a German accent, saying “Ja” and lifting his left arm in what appeared to be a Nazi salute.
Redknapp never made a secret of his desire to take the England job and was favourite for the role when Capello stepped down in 2012, only for the FA to appoint Roy Hodgson. In his latest interview Redknapp bemoaned the absence of English candidates to replace Gareth Southgate last year, with Newcastle’s Howe a clear exception.
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“The problem was there were no choices,” Redknapp said. “For me, Eddie Howe was the only choice. Eddie would have been perfect but he’s got a great job at Newcastle as well. In this particular time, we needed to look for a foreign manager and Tuchel was available. And he’s got a very good track record.”
Al Arabiya is owned and funded by Saudi Arabia, host of the 2034 World Cup. Asked for his thoughts on the tournament, Redknapp said: “It’s going to be fantastic. Safe. Great atmosphere. People just come and have a great time. So as long as they behave themselves, which is what everybody should do anyway. It’s a great place to hold a World Cup for sure.”
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