Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp has come under scrutiny after making controversial remarks about England boss Thomas Tuchel during a charity event.
Speaking in front of an audience in London, the 78-year-old joked that Tuchel was "a German spy" and appeared to mimic a Nazi salute while making the comments.
"I'll be honest with you, I think he's a German spy. I'm telling you," Redknapp said in a video clip obtained by The Guardian. "Seriously, he's been sent over to [expletive] 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."
The reference to Lord Haw-Haw—William Joyce, who broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK during World War II—drew mixed reactions. Redknapp also suggested that Tuchel had been instructed to "go over and ruin that team," prompting laughter from the audience.
Tuchel, who took charge of England in January, has already guided the team to World Cup qualifying victories over Albania and Latvia. He is the third foreign permanent England manager, following Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
BBC Sport has reached out to Redknapp for comment. Meanwhile, reactions on social media have been divided, with some criticizing his remarks while others, including German comedian Henning Wehn, dismissed the incident as lighthearted banter.
Tuchel, who previously managed Chelsea to Champions League success in 2020-21, has acknowledged the debate around his nationality, stating in October: "Sorry, I have a German passport." More recently, he emphasized his commitment to England, saying he must "earn the right" to sing the national anthem.
Redknapp, who last managed Birmingham City in 2017, remains one of the most decorated English managers of his generation, having led Portsmouth to FA Cup glory in 2008—the last major domestic trophy won by an English manager before Eddie Howe’s Newcastle triumph in this year's Carabao Cup final.