CLOSE: Harry Redknapp with his former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric.

FORMER Saints manager Harry Redknapp is one of five men arrested by detectives investigating corruption in the sport.

Police searched the Portsmouth boss' luxury home in Sandbanks, Dorset, as part of raids on eight addresses across the UK.

Mr Redknapp finally emerged from a police station in Chichester, West Sussex, at 8.25pm last night.

Looking tired and drawn he drove himself away in a black Mercedes S500. He declined to stop and make any comment to waiting reporters as he sped off in pouring rain.

There were two other men in the car with Mr Redknapp. One of them was Portsmouth's chief executive Peter Storrie who was also arrested and questioned by police.

After Redknapp had left his solicitor Paul Martin made a brief statement.

He said: "I am the solicitor representing Mr Redknapp and Mr Storrie. We would like to make clear that they are both assisting police with their inquiries.

"These inquiries do not relate to these two individuals. They have been assisting the police with inquiries into other individuals.

"We would like to make it clear that the investigation does not relate to Mr Redknapp or Mr Storrie.

"As the investigations are ongoing I am unable to comment further."

Later Mr Redknapp himself said he believed his release from the police station was "the end of it".

Mr Redknapp was Saints boss for a year from December 2004 until late November 2005, overseeing the club's relegation from the Premiership.

The other men arrested were former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, Glasgow Rangers midfielder Amdy Faye and football agent Willie McKay.

City of London Police interviewed the men after arresting them on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. Up to 60 officers were involved in the raids, the most dramatic development yet in an ongoing inquiry by fraud detectives to root out corruption in the national game.

Last year the FA brought in former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Stevens and his company, Quest, to carry out a separate inquiry into suspect transfers. City of London Police would only confirm the ages of the arrested men - 69, 60, 55, 48 and 30.

Detectives are believed to be focusing on Mr Faye's transfers from Auxerre to Portsmouth in August 2003 and Portsmouth to Newcastle United in January 2005.

Mr Mandaric was Portsmouth chairman at the time of his arrival to and departure from the south coast club. Mr McKay is believed to have been his agent.

Mr Redknapp was Portsmouth manager when Faye arrived in 2003. The player has since signed for Charlton Athletic and joined Glasgow Rangers on a season-long loan in August.

A Portsmouth Football Club spokesman said: "Portsmouth Football Club can confirm that chief executive Peter Storrie and manager Harry Redknapp have today been asked to help police with their inquiries concerning a matter dating back to 2003.

"This was prior to the new owner taking control of the club at the beginning of 2006.

"The club is fully supportive of Peter and Harry who are co-operating fully with City of London Police in this ongoing inquiry.

"Both are playing major roles in the continued success of Portsmouth Football Club."

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

Both Glasgow Rangers and Leicester City declined to comment.

Last year Redknapp was questioned by the Football Association over claims he illegally approached a player.

He was secretly filmed as part of a BBC documentary but dismissed the allegations as "farcical".

In July, police searched offices at Newcastle United, Portsmouth and Glasgow Rangers as well as two homes.

A 28-year-old - widely rumoured to be Tottenham Hotspur defender Pascal Chimbonda - was questioned in September.

10:28am Thursday 29th November 2007

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