Roy Hodgson, the oldest ever manager in the Premier League at age 76, left Crystal Palace on Monday just days after falling ill during a training session amid widespread reports he was about to be replaced.
The former England coach said he made the decision to step aside so that Palace could bring forward its plans to appoint a new manager.
Austrian coach Oliver Glasner, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2022 before leaving last year, has been heavily touted as Hodgson’s likely replacement.
“I understand, given recent circumstances, it may be prudent at this time for the club to plan ahead,” Hodgson said.
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Palace said Hodgson has left the hospital following the training-ground incident on Friday and was “doing well.”
Two members of his coaching staff — Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington — were due to take charge of the team for its Premier League match at Everton later Monday. Palace is five points clear of the relegation zone with 14 games remaining.
Hodgson was in his second spell in charge of Palace, having returned in March last year to comfortably steer the team to safety in the Premier League after a poor run of form under predecessor Patrick Vieira .
He was also Palace manager from September 2017 to May 2021, keeping the London club in the top flight the entire time.
“This club is very special and means so much to me and has played a big part in my footballing life. I have fully enjoyed my time here across six seasons, as it has given me the chance to work with top class players and staff doing what I love every day,” Hodgson said.
Hodgson didn’t say whether he would be retiring from soccer management. When he left after his first spell as Palace, he said he would not be coming back to the sport — only to be hired by Watford eight months later.
He recently said changes to the game, such as handball interpretations and VAR, had made him fall out of love with soccer after nearly 50 years in coaching.
“Games like today,” Hodgson said after a 2-1 loss to Liverpool in December, “make me realize that when the day comes to leave it behind, I won’t be missing anything.”
Palace chairman Steve Parish said Hodgson “has a special place” in the club’s history.
“After four years in which he led the club to maintaining Premier League status season after season, he once again joined us nearly a year ago to steady the ship, and worked wonders,” Parish said. “That he then agreed to continue in the summer speaks volumes about his commitment to our club. Quite simply, we owe our continued Premier League status to Roy.”
Hodgson’s first job in his long, itinerant coaching career was with Halmstad in Sweden in 1976.
He has since taken charge of high-profile clubs such as Inter Milan and Liverpool, and led England’s national team from 2012-16.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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