Tottenham’s Redknapp to face tax charges

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is to face trial for tax evasion next year, it was revealed yesterday.

Redknapp, 64, has been charged with two counts of cheating the public revenue between 2002 and 2007 when he was manager of Portsmouth, now in the English second-tier Championship.

Former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has also been charged with tax evasion.

Both men deny the charges and a trial expected to last two weeks is due to begin at London’s Southwark Crown Court on January 23.

A court order banning reporting of the announcement was lifted yesterday.

Two payments totalling £183,000 were allegedly made by Mandaric, now chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, into a Monaco bank account opened by Redknapp.

Redknapp recently underwent heart surgery to unblock coronary arteries.

He has missed several matches while he recovers and although he had hoped to return within two weeks, Redknapp was subsequently told by doctors he could be sidelined for up to five weeks.