View attachment 455556June 2013
Hodgson Steps Down
Hodgson Steps Down
View attachment 455558
65-year-old Roy Hodgson has stepped down from his role as manager of the England national team. The former Inter Milan, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham manager leaves the side in 1st position in their World Cup Qualifying Group with four games to go. The much-travelled manager announced his resignation after 13 months in the job following a summer of transition in the Football Association which saw the introduction of the FA Commission and re-positioning of several staff members.
During the announcement, Hodgson stated he and FA Chairman Greg **** had been in discussions for a month or two about his possible resignation with the organisation - including Hodgson - eyeing younger candidates to take charge of the team. Hodgson indicated his resignation was purely his own decision as he hoped a younger manager would be able to take long-term charge of the national team which needed a "dramatic remodel."
In his official announcement, Hodgson stated: "My year in charge of England has been a fascinating challenge. To lead my country to the UEFA European Championships was an excellent achievement in my career and an experience I'll never forget. However, I now feel it's time to hand over the reigns to someone a little younger. I think the FA and the country as a whole has recognised it's time for the national team to undergo a dramatic remodel because we've underperformed for several years now. Since my appointment, I'd like to think I've brought some stability and installed some form of belief amongst the team so it's now time to hand over to someone who can take charge for the next five, ten or fifteen years. I'm thankful to the England fans and will continue to be involved with the FA in a behind the scenes role."
FA officials have said that Hodgson has been in discussions with them for some time considering potential replacements. Their statement said a shortlist of several candidates had been drawn up and each candidate will now undergo a thorough examining to determine who's the correct candidate to take charge of the England national team. Their full statement read: "We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Roy for the successful year he's had in charge of England. He'll remain in the organisation away from the public eye and continues to be committed to the improvement of the England national team. We have several targets in mind and will release a statement in due course regarding the appointment of a successor."