Redknapp replaces Ramos at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur FC have appointed Harry Redknapp in succession to Juande Ramos after paying fellow UEFA Cup contenders Portsmouth FC compensation of €6.25m for their FA Cup-winning manager.

Poor start
Spurs parted company with Ramos, his coaches Marcos Álvarez and Gus Poyet and sporting director Damien Comolli with the club bottom of the Premier League table with two points from eight games, having also lost Thursday's opening UEFA Cup Group D game 2-0 at Udinese Calcio. In his place comes 61-year-old Redknapp, ending his second spell at Portsmouth as the club embarks upon their first-ever European campaign, though they also were beaten on Thursday, 3-0 at SC Braga in Group E. Redknapp will manage Tottenham against Bolton Wanderers FC on Sunday while his former assistants Joe Jordan and Tony Adams take caretaker charge of Portsmouth at home to Fulham FC.

Experience
The decision to dispense with Ramos, just under a year after he replaced Martin Jol at the helm, comes only eight months after the former Sevilla FC coach led the club to their first trophy of the current decade with a 2-1 win against Chelsea FC in the English League Cup final. Redknapp, who recently celebrated 25 years in management, began his second Portsmouth spell in 2005, immediately leading the south-coast club to Premier League safety and winning the FA for the first time in nearly 70 years last season. Formerly in charge of AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United FC and Southampton FC, Redknapp's son Jamie is a former Tottenham player.

Reasons
In a statement on the Tottenham website, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said:"Our record of just three league wins since our memorable victory against Chelsea last February, combined with our extremely poor start to the season, led the board and I to determine that significant change was necessary as a matter of urgency. In appointing Harry Redknapp as our new manager, we are delighted to have secured the services of someone we have long since admired and whose track record and knowledge of all levels of football, including importantly the Premier League, is outstanding." Redknapp added: "It'll be a big opportunity to manage a big club before I retire."