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Harry Redknapp breaks silence over ‘German spy’ Tuchel as he admits it 'badly backfired'
Harry Redknapp made headlines last month when he jokingly referred to Thomas Tuchel as a 'German spy', and now has finally said what he thinks about the England boss
Football legend Harry Redknapp has broken his silence on his infamous “German spy” comments in relation to England manager Thomas Tuchel.
Redknapp, 78, sparked controversy last month when he was asked his views on Tuchel in front of a live audience in London. “I don’t know,” the ex-Spurs manager had replied, before he lent back in his chair and addressed the boisterous crowd. “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.”
Tuchel – a German national – took over from Gareth Southgate in October 2024 to a mixed response from the UK’s media. “A dark day for England [as] Three Lions gamble on a German,” the Daily Mail had offered on their back page at the time.
Redknapp has now admitted how he really felt about his “joke” about Tuchel last month.
Speaking with host Michael Prendergast in an interview on Alarabiya News about the lack of English managers in the Premier League, Redknapp was drawn onto the subject of Tuchel. “Well, we’ve got a German manager for the national team now…haven’t we,” said Prendagast.
“The problem was we didn’t have the choices,” said Redknapp. “For me Eddie Howe was the only choice. But now he’s got a great job at Newcastle. I’m sure if the England job came up he wouldn’t be able to turn it down. I’m sure that’ll happen eventually.”
“But at this particular time, we needed to look at a foreign manager and Tuchel was available and he’s got a great track record.”
“A German spy, as you said,” said Prendergast, cheekily butting in.
Redknapp quickly shut it down: “No, don't go there. Oh my god, it was a joke that badly backfired. But it was only a joke. Hopefully he can do well with the team. He managed a lot of the players at Chelsea. He’s certainly got talent at his disposal.”
He added: “The English players that play in the Premier League are special talents and then you’ve got Bellingham playing for Real Madrid. And then the best centre forward in the world – Harry Kane.
“So there’s a great nucleus there for [Tuchel] him to go on and win a trophy. We should have won a trophy by now.”
Elsewhere in the interview, on Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034, Redknapp said: “It’s going to be fantastic. It's going to be a great place to come and watch football. 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.”
Daily Star Sunday
Harry Redknapp made headlines last month when he jokingly referred to Thomas Tuchel as a 'German spy', and now has finally said what he thinks about the England boss
Football legend Harry Redknapp has broken his silence on his infamous “German spy” comments in relation to England manager Thomas Tuchel.
Redknapp, 78, sparked controversy last month when he was asked his views on Tuchel in front of a live audience in London. “I don’t know,” the ex-Spurs manager had replied, before he lent back in his chair and addressed the boisterous crowd. “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.”
Tuchel – a German national – took over from Gareth Southgate in October 2024 to a mixed response from the UK’s media. “A dark day for England [as] Three Lions gamble on a German,” the Daily Mail had offered on their back page at the time.
Redknapp has now admitted how he really felt about his “joke” about Tuchel last month.
Speaking with host Michael Prendergast in an interview on Alarabiya News about the lack of English managers in the Premier League, Redknapp was drawn onto the subject of Tuchel. “Well, we’ve got a German manager for the national team now…haven’t we,” said Prendagast.
“The problem was we didn’t have the choices,” said Redknapp. “For me Eddie Howe was the only choice. But now he’s got a great job at Newcastle. I’m sure if the England job came up he wouldn’t be able to turn it down. I’m sure that’ll happen eventually.”
“But at this particular time, we needed to look at a foreign manager and Tuchel was available and he’s got a great track record.”
“A German spy, as you said,” said Prendergast, cheekily butting in.
Redknapp quickly shut it down: “No, don't go there. Oh my god, it was a joke that badly backfired. But it was only a joke. Hopefully he can do well with the team. He managed a lot of the players at Chelsea. He’s certainly got talent at his disposal.”
He added: “The English players that play in the Premier League are special talents and then you’ve got Bellingham playing for Real Madrid. And then the best centre forward in the world – Harry Kane.
“So there’s a great nucleus there for [Tuchel] him to go on and win a trophy. We should have won a trophy by now.”
Elsewhere in the interview, on Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034, Redknapp said: “It’s going to be fantastic. It's going to be a great place to come and watch football. 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.”
Daily Star Sunday