Redknapp defiant over probe
Harry Redknapp has reacted angrily after police raided his home
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Thursday, 29, Nov 2007 07:08
Harry Redknapp has reacted with confusion following the news of his arrest in relation to the police investigation into football corruption.
The 60-year-old Portsmouth manager was one of five men arrested by City of London police yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.
He was questioned by officers, had his home raided and a laptop seized at around 06:00 GMT yesterday morning.
Former Pompey owner Milan Mandaric - who is now chairman of Leicester City - was also arrested, as was current Fratton Park chief executive Peter Storrie.
Reports suggest the two other men are football agent Willie McKay and Rangers defender Amdy Faye.
In a press conference today, Redknapp sought to distance himself from the inquiry, saying: "I wondered what I was doing there.
"I think the only reason I've been brought into this is because I add a bit of profile to the investigation because really and truly this has nothing to do with me."
The experienced manager said the police probe revolves around accusations that a football agent passed on a portion of his fee to the player he represented during a transfer.
But Redknapp claimed there was no way he would have had any direct input into this transaction.
"I'm really not involved in what an agent and a player does," he said.
"I'm not involved in who gets agents fees and who doesn't."
Redknapp also claimed, "you couldn't meet a more honest, straight guy than Peter Storrie", saying he works with "honesty and integrity at all times".
"This club is completely transparent and totally honest," he continued.
"There's nothing that goes on in this football club that shouldn't. Any investigations that have gone on, this club has helped everybody and cooperated fully."
Redknapp also hit out at the police who raided his home, which happened while the manager was in Germany to attend a Champions League match between Rangers and Stuttgart on Tuesday night.
He claims he is "bitterly disappointed" with the officers, who went to his home accompanied by a photographer from "a well-known tabloid newspaper" while he was not there.
"They frightened my wife, who was heartbroken," he added.
"This is not the society that I was brought up in."
Redknapp, Mandaric and Storrie were all released on police bail yesterday pending further enquiries.
It is thought that the transfers at the centre of the inquiry involve Faye's moves from Auxerre to Portsmouth in 2003 and from Portsmouth to Newcastle United in 2005.