Roy Hodgson has stepped down from his role as Crystal Palace manager.
The 76-year-old was taken ill during Palace’s training session last Thursday morning. Palace cancelled Hodgson’s scheduled press conference and later confirmed he was “stable” and undergoing tests in hospital.
Hodgson has since been released from hospital and is doing well.
That incident followed the news that Palace were set to part company with Hodgson and replace him with former Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner.
Hodgson said: “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.
“However, I understand, given recent circumstances, it may be prudent at this time for the club to plan ahead, and therefore I have taken the decision to step aside so that the club can bring forward their plans for a new manager, as intended for this summer.
“I would like to thank Steve Parish and his American partners for their support, along with my coaching staff and backroom team who have helped me so much along the way. In particular, a huge thank you to my long-term friend and assistant, Ray Lewington; coaches Dean Kiely and Paddy McCarthy; plus the excellent sports science, video analysis and medical departments.
“My thanks and respect also to the current squad of players who have been a pleasure to work with — they are a credit to the club and themselves. I am certain that our fans will continue to give their full support to the team for the remainder of this season and beyond.
“I am confident that the season will finish well and I wish the team every success in the weeks, months and seasons to come.”
Glasner, meanwhile, will sign a deal until June 2026 worth in the region of £4million ($5m) a year and is expected to bring in a four-man coaching team, including compatriot and former Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz.
It is not the first time that Hodgson’s health has been a concern this season. He missed Palace’s match at Aston Villa in September after being taken unwell on the morning of the match. Paddy McCarthy, the assistant manager, took charge of the team that day alongside first-team coach Ray Lewington.
Lewington and McCarthy will lead Palace for their Premier League clash at Everton this evening.
Hodgson’s final game in charge was a 3-1 home loss against Chelsea on Monday, which followed a 4-1 defeat by rivals Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
Back-to-back defeats have left Palace 15th in the Premier League, five points above 18th-placed Everton — who they play at Goodison Park next Monday.
Palace had taken seven points from their opening four games of the campaign but have managed only three wins since September and exited the FA Cup in the third round after losing to Everton in a replay.
The defeat at Brighton saw a number of Palace fans at the Amex Stadium angrily voice their disappointment and call for the manager and chairman Steve Parish to leave the club, while Monday’s game against Chelsea was again followed by boos at Selhurst Park.
Hodgson was in his second spell at Palace, having been re-appointed on a short-term contract in March 2023 following the sacking of Patrick Vieira.
After steering the club away from the relegation zone, registering five wins and three draws in 10 games to finish 11 points off the bottom three and above Chelsea for the first time in the Premier League era, he signed a one-year deal ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The former England manager previously spent four years in charge of Palace between 2017 and 2021.
He signed a short-term deal at Watford in January 2022 but confirmed his departure after their relegation to the Championship was sealed and he said he did not expect to take another managerial job in the Premier League, before returning to lead Palace 10 months later.
Hodgson’s career in the dugout has spanned more than 45 years and taken in teams including Inter Milan, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Palace, as well as the national sides of Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland.
(Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
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