Former Premier League manager Harry Redknap appeared to be giving a Nazi salute after British boss Thomas Tuschel was “German spy” when he spoke at a charity event.
Tuchel became England’s manager in January and led the World Cup qualifying victory in Albania and Latvia in his first two matches.
Rednap, a 78-year-old former manager of Portsmouth, Tottenham and West Ham, spoke in front of an audience at an event in London before last week’s match, asking him for his thoughts on German.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s a German spy. I’m telling you,” Rednap says in a video clip obtained by The Guardian.
“Seriously, he was sent to [expletive] We. He has it. I’m telling YA, he’s like Ho Ho Lord in the war – “We’ve got your best soldiers captured” and more.
William Joyce, known as the Hoho Lord, broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK during World War II.
Rednap also envisioned the instructions given to Tuchel to “defeat and ruin that team.”
And when he commented to the laughing audience, it seemed to make a Nazi salute gesture.
BBC Sport approached Redknapp for comments.
The incident has sparked criticism of Rednap on social media, but German comedian Henning Wahn (talking about the battle at BBC Radio 5 Live) said:
Tuchel is the third permanent foreign England manager, after Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
When asked about the fact in October, he said, “Sorry, I have a German passport.” Earlier this month he said he needed to “earn” the “right” to sing the national anthem.
Former Borussia Dortmund boss Touchel led Chelsea to the 2020-21 Champions League with a previous spell that he worked in the UK.
Rednap was the last English manager to win a major national trophy (2008 FA Cup with Portsmouth) before Eddie Howe led Newcastle to victory in this year’s Carabao Cup final.
Redknapp’s last manager took place in Birmingham City in 2017. He also had spells with Bournemouth, Southampton, QPR and Jordanian national teams.
