Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp appeared to make a gesture similar to a Nazi salute when making distasteful comments about England head coach Thomas Tuchel at a charity event.
Redknapp, 78, appeared to make several unsavoury comments about Tuchel, 51, with The Guardian releasing a video of the former Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager speaking at a charity event, during which he claims the England boss is a “German spy”.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s a German spy,” said Redknapp. “I’m telling you. Seriously, he’s been sent over to f**k 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 then appears to act out an instruction given to Tuchel saying “go over and ruin that team” before putting on what appears to be a German accent and adding “Ja” before appearing to perform a gesture that resembled a Nazi salute – also known as the Hitler salute.
The comments were well received by several members of the audience before Redknapp said: “I’m going, I’ve got to go and see my accountant.”
The Guardian reports that the incident occurred before Tuchel's first two games in charge of the Three Lions.
During his coaching career, Redknapp was heavily linked with the England manager's role and explained how he "wanted an Englishman to manage England" after Tuchel was announced by the FA in October 2024.
“He’s lost his job quite quickly at a couple of clubs,” explained Redknapp when speaking on Sky Sports.
"It’s not like he’s been a massive success. He’s come and gone at a couple of clubs. I’m very patriotic, I think we should have an English manager, but obviously, the field was very small to choose from.”
Tuchel - alongside Fabio Capello and Sven-Göran Eriksson - is one of just three foreign managers to have taken charge of England. His appointment prompted a mixed reaction from football fans, pundits and media but any naysayers will be proven wrong if Tuchel does the thing no England boss has since 1966 and wins the 2026 World Cup.
SPORTbible has approached Redknapp's representatives for comment.
Topics: Harry Redknapp, Thomas Tuchel, Premier League, Football
Luke Davies