Harry Redknapp joked that new England manager Thomas Tuchel is a “German spy” at a recent charity event.
In footage obtained by the Guardian newspaper, the former Tottenham and Portsmouth boss told a live audience Germany’s Tuchel had been “sent over to f*** us up”.
Redknapp, 78, had been asked questions about former England manager Gareth Southgate and his successor Tuchel, who took charge of his first game last week.
“I liked Gareth Southgate, I liked him a lot, but we should have won something,” Redknapp said in the published clip.
Then asked about Tuchel, Redknapp said: “I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s a German spy.
“I’m telling you, seriously, he’s been sent over to f*** us up. He has, I’m telling you, 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 then appears to add the German word ‘ja’.
His comments were met with laughter and cheering by the audience.
Redknapp brings his involvement in the event to a close soon afterwards.
The Guardian reports the comments were made before Tuchel began his reign with a 2-0 victory over Albania last Friday. England then beat Latvia 3-0 on Monday.
Tuchel, the former Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich manager, was appointed as Southgate’s permanent successor last October.
Redknapp’s representatives have been contacted for comment.
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