'It's been a nightmare' - Harry Redknapp, Milan Mandaric and others react to the duo's 'not guilty' verdict in their tax evasion trial

By Andrew Kennedy

On Wednesday, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp & Sheffield Wednesday owner Milan Mandaric were cleared of tax evasion charges by a jury at Southwark Crown Court.

The ‘not guilty’ verdict, which took five-and-a-half hours of deliberations for jurors to reach, marks the end of a 13-day trial in which the duo denied allegations of attempting to cheat the public purse.

The alleged incident dated back to the duo’s time at Portsmouth, where Redknapp was manager while Mandaric was owner & chairman, with payments into a Monaco bank account coming under scrutiny.

Following Wednesday’s decision, Goal.com takes a look at the reaction from the world of football and beyond to the ‘not guilty’ verdict.

"It really has been a nightmare, I've got to be honest, it's been five years and this case should never have come to court. It was horrendous"

– Speaking outside the court on Wednesday, Redknapp is relieved to have cleared his name.

"I've got to go somewhere to try to pinch myself and wake me up from that horrible dream that I had in the past.

"As we said in the statements, I always believed in the truth, and always believed in the British justice system."

– Milan Mandaric reveals his frustration at having to undergo trial, but also praises the justice system for reaching a 'not guilty' verdict.

"Great to see Harry cleared of any wrong doing over 'tax evasion'. Glad for him + the Redknapp family."

– Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand is glad to have seen the 64-year-old declared innocent.

"Multi-million pound investigation of Redknapp spanning 5yrs....who foots that bill?? You/me + all the other tax payers! ^_^"

- The former England captain was also quick to question the validity of the case in the first place, suggesting that the tax payer is the main loser following the trial.

"Agreed. Shocking and also well done spurs! Allow due and proper process !!!"

– Ex-Red Devil Gary Neville is also in agreement with Rio, and has praised Tottenham for not attempting to delay the trial due to their Premier League commitments.

“I'm delighted for Harry. This case should never have been brought - it's yet another waste of time and money.”

– TV presenter  Fred Dineage, a former Portsmouth board member during Mandaric's tenure at Fratton Park, is glad to see the ex-West Ham boss cleared.

"Yet again the media confusing public interest and what public interested in. I speak as a football fan and friend of Harry Redknapp"

– Former Director of Communications and Strategy to Tony Blair Alistair Campbell was critical of the media’s coverage of the case, also suggesting the trial may not have been in the interest of the public.

"So £8million spent on the Harry Redknapp case of an alleged unpaid 40% tax on a hundred odd grand and he's not guilty. Nice work people."

– BBC Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans was similarly critical of the need for a trial in the first place.

"For four years I could not tell everyone that I was an innocent man.

"For 17 years I was held in very high regard in football. At the moment it is impossible for anyone in football to employ me. If they Google my name all they can see is this case against me and 'tax fiddle, tax deal and tax fraud.

"It is totally impossible for me to get into football until I clear my name."

- Following the conclusion of Redknapp's trial, former Portsmouth Chief Executive Peter Storrie also saw his name cleared after an earlier tax case involving the 59-year-old could finally be reported on.

"The other night, at the Wigan game, was the most moving I've ever felt. For me, personally, to have them singing my name throughout the game, while all this was going one, will always be special to me and I'll never forget that".

- Redknapp praises the Tottenham fans for their support during the trial