Former Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp denies responsibility for Birmingham City’s 9 points deduction from EFL

Former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp was in charge of The Blues for a 13 game spell in 2017. 

During his reign, Redknapp guided Birmingham to safety from relegation to League One on the final day of the 2016/17 season but was then sacked one month into the next season. 

The Blues signed 14 players during his tenure including a club record signing of Spanish playmaker Jota from Brentford for an unconfirmed fee, believed to be in excess of £6 million. 

This outlay on transfers contributed to the club’s wage bill rising from £22m to £38m and they revealed that they had made loses of £37.5m in the 12 months to June 2018. 

Birmingham are set to be docked 9 points, the first club to be punished with a deduction by the EFL since they introduced the profitability and sustainability rules ahead of the 2016/17 season. 

The rules state that clubs cannot make losses in excess of £13m per year over a three-year-period. 

As a result of the points deduction, Birmingham will slip from 13th place to 18th in the Championship and will be just five points above the drop zone with eight games left to play. 

However despite being the manager during the summer 2017 recruitment drive, Redknapp has denied being responsible for the points deduction. 

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph he claimed that none of the signings ‘were mine’. 

Redknapp said: ‘It's surely down to the people who run the club, like the chief executive and the chairman, or whoever, to know if we've got any money to spend.

‘I was never warned by anyone that there was going to be a problem. I don’t think any of the signings were mine. 

‘I'd never even see any of them play, they were brought in by other people above my head.' 

Redknapp spent two spells in charge of Portsmouth which included the 2008 FA cup victory at Wembley. 

However overspending on wages and transfers resulted in Pompey racking up pre-tax losses of £16.7m in the 21 months between June 2008 and February 2010. 

With fans blaming Redknapp in part for the financial collapse that saw Pompey drop to League Two during the 2012/13 season, as well as the club’s former chief executive Peter Storrie.