Police arrest Portsmouth manager Redknapp

Police investigating corruption in English football made five arrests Nov. 28, including Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and cheief executive Peter Storrie.

No other details were given on the other three men, though reports revealed that Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric, formerly the Portsmouth's chair, Rangers midfielder Amdy Faye and agent Willie McKay were also arrested. Redknapp confirmed Mandaric's arrest.

Police spokesman Gary Doubie released a statement saying that the Portsmouth pair are wanted for help in matter dating back to 2003, prior to the new ownership taking over in 2006.

That leads to belief that the police could be looking at Faye's transfers from Auxerre to Portsmouth in August 2003, and then his move from Portsmouth to Newcastle United in Jan. 2005.

"We all helped the police with their inquiries but it doesn't directly concern me, it's other people involved," Redknapp told the BBC after he was released from jail. "I've been answering questions to help the police. I am not directly concerned with their inquiries.

"They have to arrest you to talk to you, for you to be in the police station. I think that's the end of it, it didn't directly concern me."

Paul Martin, a solicitor representing the duo also said the matter concerned other parties, and not Redknapp or Storrie.

"Five men have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting as part of an ongoing investigation into football corruption," said a City of London police spokeswoman.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.