Roy Hodgson confirms departure from Bristol City at season’s end
Roy Hodgson has confirmed he will not remain at Bristol City beyond the current campaign, declaring himself “too old” for a permanent managerial position, reports BritPanorama.
The 78-year-old former England boss emerged from retirement to take the reins at the Championship side on a caretaker basis following Gerhard Struber’s dismissal last week.
Hodgson acknowledged that top-level football rarely accommodates coaches of his age. Although he had settled into retirement, he admitted that he had grown “a little bit bored from time to time” and found the opportunity difficult to resist. He said, “Having this opportunity to get a feel for that again, and have a chance to work with a good group of players – it seems from what I saw this morning – and to relive being on the grass and doing the coaching, which I’ve always been really keen to do.”
The short-term nature of the appointment proved particularly attractive to the experienced coach. Hodgson noted, “I thought that I could manage five weeks – and I might even look forward to the five weeks, which has been the case so far.”
Bristol City currently sit in 16th place in the Championship, having failed to win any of their past five outings. Their recent form reached a low point with a 1-0 home defeat to relegation-threatened West Brom, during which supporters booed the team on three separate occasions. The Robins also suffered an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Port Vale, who sit bottom of League One.
Hodgson’s first match in charge comes on Friday, as he travels with his side to the Valley to face Charlton, who are 18th in the table. Sheffield United will then visit Ashton Gate the following Monday. The club’s chief executive, Charlie Boss, revealed that Hodgson was the board’s first choice for the interim role, expressing hope that the manager’s influence might extend beyond this season into future years.
Hodgson’s appointment marks a return to familiar territory; he briefly managed Bristol City in 1982, during a period when the club faced severe financial difficulties.
In the unpredictable world of football management, Hodgson’s short tenure serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of success and the challenges inherent in revitalising a struggling club.
