Redknapp was chairman’s ‘special guy’

The football chairman accused of sending bungs to Harry Redknapp told a court yesterday of their rollercoaster friendship.

Milan Mandaric said he agreed to pay £4.2 million (€5.02m) a year to his “special guy” before their relationship led to “a bitter divorce”.

Mandaric told jurors: “In 35 years in football, I never had a closer relationship as a manager than I had with Harry.”