Harry Redknapp secretly filmed ‘claiming players bet on match’
Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp has said his players bet on the result of one of their matches, the Daily Telegraph has claimed.
Football Association rules forbid players from betting on games in which they are involved, with managers expected to report any misconduct.
The paper has revealed several cases of alleged corruption in English football.
When contacted by the Telegraph, Redknapp, 69, said he did not think it was against the FA rules at the time.
The paper does not suggest that Redknapp knew the players were betting at the time of the match.
Redknapp has managed West Ham, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers.
The article does not say at what match the alleged offence took place, or which club was involved.
Italian Pino Pagliara, who appears in the video alongside fellow agent Dax Price, told the BBC on Friday that his previous claims that eight current and ex-Premier League managers took bribes was a lie.
In the video, Price claimed that both sets of players involved in the match in question bet on the result.
Redknapp was filmed seemingly talking about third-party ownership – a system where private investors can own part of a player’s economic rights.
The system is banned by the FA, which governs English football, and world governing body Fifa.
According to the Telegraph, on third-party ownership Redknapp said: “What’s the objection? You’re helping clubs to buy players because they can’t afford them, you’d think they’d be only too pleased.”
When contacted by the Telegraph, Redknapp said third-party ownership was “not something that I’ve ever been involved in, and it’s not something that I’d want to get involved in”.
Sam Allardyce left his post as England manager on Tuesday, making a “whole-hearted apology” in the wake of allegations in the newspaper that he told undercover reporters how it was possible to “get around” rules on player transfers.
On Thursday, Southampton’s assistant manager Eric Black was alleged to have given advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs, with the Premier League club requesting a full transcript of the meeting. He denies the claims.
Barnsley assistant boss Tommy Wright was sacked on Thursday over claims he took cash for trying to engineer certain transfers, allegations he has “categorically denied”.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, manager of fellow Championship side QPR, has denied “any accusations of wrongdoing” after being filmed apparently negotiating a fee to travel to Singapore to speak to the Far East firm, with the club postponing an internal investigation. BBC Sport
