Roy Hodgson
Encyclopedia
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach
of West Bromwich Albion
.
Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team
to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup
and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1960s. From 2006 to 2007, he managed the Finland national team
, guiding them to their highest ever FIFA ranking
of 33rd place, and coming close to qualifying for a major tournament for the first time in the nation's history. He has been the beaten finalist in the UEFA Cup
and the Europa League. Hodgson has also coached many notable club sides, including Halmstads BK
, Internazionale
, Blackburn Rovers
, Grasshoppers
, FC Copenhagen
, Udinese
, Viking, Fulham
and Liverpool. Hodgson has served several times as a member of UEFA
's technical study group at the European Championships
, and he was also a member of the FIFA
technical study group at the 2006 World Cup
. Hodgson speaks five languages
and has also worked as a television pundit in several of the countries in which he has coached.
, Surrey
. His mother was a local baker in the town, and his father, who was an Everton
fan, originally from Walton, Liverpool, worked in a chemical factory. He was educated at John Ruskin Grammar School and was a moderately successful youth player with Crystal Palace
, but was never able to break into the first team. After leaving Crystal Palace he played non-League football
for several years with Tonbridge, Gravesend & Northfleet, Maidstone United
, where he also served as assistant manager, and Carshalton Athletic. He briefly worked as a PE teacher from 1972–73 at Alleyn's School in south London, and later at Hillview High School in Pretoria
, South Africa.
side Halmstad
. Hodgson spent five years at Halmstads BK, winning the league championship
in 1976 and 1979. His success with Halmstad in 1976 is considered one of the biggest surprises of all time in Swedish football. The year before, Halmstad had struggled against relegation, and before the 1976 campaign began they were almost universally tipped for relegation. Hodgson himself says that "my greatest achievement would have to be the water-into-wine job at Halmstads BK." Early in his career, he was dubbed the nicest man in the world.
In 1980, he moved to Bristol City
in his native England, where he was assistant manager and later manager. Due to the club's financial problems he was largely unsuccessful. In 1983, Hodgson moved back to Sweden to take over Örebro
. In 1985, he took over at Malmö FF
, which he led to five consecutive league championships
, two Swedish championships (at the time the Swedish championship was decided through play-offs) and two Swedish Cups
. Due to his successful time at Malmö, Hodgson is still highly appreciated by the club's fans who have unofficially named a section of the new Swedbank Stadion
"Roy's Hörna" (Roy's Corner). His greatest continental achievement at Malmö was knocking the then-Italian champions Internazionale
out of the Champions League
, winning 1–0 at home and drawing 1–1 at the San Siro
.
Hodgson continues to be held in high regard at Malmö where he is known as 'Royson'. His period as manager of the club is seen as one of the best in the club's history.
Malmö offered Hodgson a lifetime contract, but he declined, saying later that "moving to another place seemed exciting. The decision was also financial. Swedish taxes were so high that even if you were being paid reasonable money, after losing 65% in tax there wasn't a lot left." Hodgson moved to Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax
in 1990. He led Xamax to European victories over Celtic
and Real Madrid
.
His early coaching career was closely linked to that of his friend Bob Houghton; they worked together at Maidstone, Stranraer and Bristol City, and they both worked in Swedish football at the same time. The pair are credited with transforming Swedish football, bringing in zonal marking for the first time.
from Uli Stielike
on 26 January 1992. Stielike had been the first Swiss coach to have a winning record, winning 13 of the 25 games he was in charge. As Hodgson was succeeding Stielike at the national level, Stielike took over the job Hodgson had just vacated at club level with Swiss Super League
side Neuchâtel Xamax.
Hodgson took the Schweizer Nati to the 1994
World Cup
, losing only one game during qualification, from a group that included Italy
and Portugal
. The Swiss took four points off Italy, who, managed by the successful former coach Arrigo Sacchi
, went on to make it to the World Cup final and lose only on penalties. In the game in Italy, the Swiss were at one stage leading 2–0 before being pegged back to 2–2. This was Switzerland's first World Cup since 1966
. At the 1994 World Cup, the Swiss finished runners-up in their group, qualifying for the Round of 16 where they lost to Spain
.
The Swiss easily qualified for Euro 1996, but Hodgson left immediately after qualification, on 15 November 1995, to join Italian
club F.C. Internazionale Milano
. He had in fact been doing both jobs from October of that year. Without Hodgson, the Swiss had a difficult time at Euro '96 losing to the Netherlands
and Scotland
. Switzerland finished bottom of their group with only one point from three matches.
At their peak while managed by Hodgson, Switzerland were rated the third best international side in the world, according to the FIFA World Rankings
.
giants Internazionale
, where he worked from 1995 to 1997. With significant investment, he presided over a rebuilding phase. Inter had finished 13th and 6th in the seasons prior to his arrival. After a terrible start to the season, Hodgson was brought in and guided the club to 7th place in the 1995–96 season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. The 1996–97 season saw Hodgson leave Inter after 14 wins, 13 draws and five defeats in Serie A, with Inter placed 3rd in the league, and he was replaced by Luigi Simoni
whose side finished 2nd in the league in the 1997–8 season and won the UEFA Cup. In 2009 Hodgson recalled his time at Inter: "We lacked stars, apart from Paul Ince
. It wasn't the Inter we see today of household names. They weren't the best technically but physically they were like machines. The Premier League is like that now, but back then Italy was far ahead."
Hodgson managed to get his Inter team, containing Javier Zanetti
, Youri Djorkaeff
and Paul Ince
, through to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final
where they would play Schalke 04. Given that Inter had a recent history of winning UEFA Cup finals, with victories in both 1990 and 1994, the Italian side started as favourites. When the German underdogs won the final in Milan on penalties, Inter fans pelted Hodgson with coins and lighters.
Hodgson later admitted that, throughout his one-and-a-half seasons at Inter, there had been regular speculation that he would get the sack, but he insisted he had had the support of the owners.
to become manager of Blackburn Rovers
. Rovers had finished 13th the previous season — only two seasons after winning the title — and had been in danger of relegation. Manager Ray Harford
had quit on 25 October 1996 with Blackburn winless, bottom of the Premier League and just knocked out of the Football League Cup
by Division Two underdogs Stockport County
. Coach Tony Parkes
had been put in charge for the rest of the season, and had overseen an improvement in league form to secure survival, but it was clear that chairman Walker wanted a more experienced man to build a side capable of regaining the form of a few years earlier, and Hodgson accepted the offer to take over.
In the 1997–98 season, his first season in charge, Blackburn finished 6th, qualifying for the UEFA cup and appearing to be in the ascendancy, especially as they had been outsiders in the title race for more than half of the season and Hodgson had been voted Premier League Manager of the Month on two occasions; however, the team's form collapsed dramatically in the second half of the season, and it was only on the last day of the season that they secured a UEFA place.
Hodgson's second season with Blackburn did not match the relative success of the first, due to numerous injuries, dressing room unrest, the failure to find an adequate replacement for departed central defender Colin Hendry
, and a succession of poor buys – notably the £7.5 million Kevin Davies
. As a result, Blackburn had a disastrous start to the season and Hodgson was sacked on November 21st 1998, with the club bottom of the league table. As Hodgson later explained, Blackburn's owner gave him the chance to resign honourably, but he refused to do so, leaving the club with no option but to sack him: "To Blackburn's honour, Jack Walker wanted me to resign, he wanted to still pay for the rest of my contract. He said, 'Why don't you resign? You've had enough, it's not working out.' I refused to do that, arrogant of course as I was in those days. I thought if they stuck with me I'd save them from relegation. I do think that the players were very much still with me, so I couldn't resign because that would be a suggestion that in some way I was doing something or something was happening which I didn't see to be the case or the truth. I gave him no choice but to sack me". His final game was a home
defeat by Southampton
.
Hodgson later complained that his failure at Blackburn tarnished his reputation in England, whilst his record on the continent should have made him comparable to Sir Alex Ferguson: "Of course, my track record, if people bothered to study it, would put me in the same category as [Sir Alex] Ferguson enjoys today, but people don't talk about what I've done outside England," he says. "Here, they just talk about Blackburn Rovers, but that's just a very small part of a 26-year career. To most English journalists it's the only part. I've got an excellent track record in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and in Denmark, where FC Copenhagen was my last job before I went to Udinese. We won the league there by seven points. Admittedly, the fact that I walked out and went to Italy to some extent tarnished that reputation..."
for a season. In 2000, Hodgson was one of three candidates to take over as England
manager; however, after having agreed to move to Copenhagen prior to the FA
offering him a contract, he was obliged to refuse any offer and the job went to Sven-Göran Eriksson
.
, where he proved an instant success, taking a team that had finished 7th and 8th in the two previous seasons, and winning the Superliga
championship in the 2000–01 season – the club's first championship since 1993. In 2001, he left Copenhagen to move to Serie A
side Udinese
. With the club five points above the relegation zone, Hodgson was fired after just four months after allegedly stating that he regretted taking up the post. Newspapers quoted him saying: "Obviously I'm very happy to be back at this level of football, but I could have chosen a better club to come back to. It's an extremely strange club." Hodgson denied making the comments
but later claimed that he wanted to leave so was happy to be sacked.
in April 2002, managing the senior and Olympic sides. Speaking of his time as manager of the United Arab Emirates, Hodgson said: "That was a period where I didn't know where my career was going. But all these experiences enrich you and it was good to know I could get my message to players who many say are uncoachable. It's hard work; they're basically lazy. But I had them drilled and pressuring opponents almost like an English team. Most coaches who go there are just fannying around, but it's not my nature."
. The club had finished fifth in the season before Hodgson took over, but finished ninth under Hodgson in their first season in a new stadium, Viking Stadion
. Following a spell at the top of the table, Viking finished fifth in the 2005 season. 2005 was also a good year for Hodgson and Viking in the UEFA Cup, with victories against Monaco
and Austria Wien
as the highlights. On 15 August 2005, he agreed to take over as coach of the Finnish national team
for the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
manager's job. He was also considered an outside candidate to replace Steve McClaren
as England manager,
having been linked previously to the job after the departures of Glenn Hoddle
and Kevin Keegan
, and given his international management record and nationality.
, with his contract beginning on 30 December 2007. He initially endured a run of very poor results with the club, including being knocked out of the FA Cup
on penalties after two draws against League One
side Bristol Rovers
. Apparently certainties for relegation to the Championship
, Fulham picked up just nine points from Hodgson's first thirteen league games. However, a run of twelve points from the last five games of the season, including a 3–2 win over Manchester City
after being 2–0 down with twenty minutes remaining, secured the Cottagers' survival on the final day of the season.
In the 2008–09 season, Hodgson led Fulham to unprecedented success, guiding his side to 7th place in the Premier League, the club's highest ever finish, and ensuring qualification for the new UEFA Europa League. There were calls for Hodgson to be given the Premier League Manager of the Year award, and he received much praise for the signings of Mark Schwarzer
, Andy Johnson and Brede Hangeland
, and for the improvement in Bobby Zamora's
performances. Hodgson's spell at Fulham greatly revived his reputation in England after his time in charge of Blackburn over a decade earlier, with renewed speculation linking him to the England
job should Fabio Capello
have left.
In the 2009–10 season, Hodgson enjoyed an impressive run in the Europa League. The club's campaign, which started in July 2009, featured impressive performances in the group stage, including defeating Basel
at the hostile St. Jakob-Park
in the final group game to qualify for the knockout stage at the expense of the Swiss club. In the following rounds, Fulham went on to eliminate holders Shakhtar
, Italian runners-up Juventus
and German champions Wolfsburg
. The victory against Juventus was especially memorable as Fulham came back from 4–1 down on aggregate to win the tie 5–4. On 29 April 2010, Hodgson guided Fulham
to their first major European final in their 130 year history, winning the home leg 2-1 to gain a 2–1 aggregate victory over Hamburg
in the Europa League semi final. In the Premier League they finished 12th.
In May 2010, Hodgson was voted the 2010 LMA Manager of the Year
by a record margin. Hodgson received the award after a poll of coaches, including managers from the top four leagues in England. Two days later, he watched his Fulham side lose the club's first European final 2–1 to Atlético Madrid of Spain
in Hamburg
.
On 30 June, the Liverpool Echo
reported that Hodgson would be named as the new Liverpool
manager after the club had agreed a £2 million compensation deal with Fulham. The announcement came after weeks of speculation following the departure of Rafael Benitez
.
, signing a three–year contract. Former Liverpool striker and manager Kenny Dalglish
had been asked by Managing Director Christian Purslow
to help draw up a short list of candidates. Unimpressed by that shortlist, Dalglish put himself forward as a candidate. Some argued that the appointment of Dalglish would be a backward step. Former Liverpool players who had worked with Dalglish, such as Peter Beardsley
, backed him for the job. Dalglish's application was rejected by the club, who publicly never gave a reason for their decision but may have felt he had been away from management for too long. Hodgson emerged as the front runner, the logic behind his appointment being that he could use his long experience in management 'to steady the ship'. It was realised that, with the club up for sale when he was brought in, Liverpool were likely to face some turbulent times, but Hodgson's appointment met with mixed reactions from fans, particularly after Dalglish had expressed interest in the position. At the time he was reigning LMA Manager of the Year
and had just enjoyed a successful season with Fulham; however, there were many who felt that he had insufficient experience with 'big clubs' despite his tenure at Internazionale, and that he would struggle to manage genuinely star players. At the time of his appointment the newspaper the Daily Telegraph asked: "Is he high profile enough for Liverpool, or is he a mid-table manager over his head?" Some fans worried that he was just a "short term appointment". Former Marseille
and Juventus
manager Didier Deschamps
later claimed that he had been offered the job before Hodgson, but turned it down.
On 8 July 2010, it was revealed that Milan Jovanović
had completed his long-awaited move to Merseyside to become Hodgson's first signing (although the signing had been instigated by Rafael Benitez before he left Liverpool). On 19 July 2010, Hodgson's second signing was confirmed as Joe Cole
, on a four-year contract on a free transfer from Chelsea. Hodgson's first game in charge of Liverpool was to be against Saudi champions Al Hilal
in Austria, but due to a waterlogged pitch the game was cancelled. Instead, Hodgson's first game as manager was a friendly against his former managed club Grasshopper Club Zürich on 21 July 2010, which ended 0–0. On 29 July 2010, his first competitive game as manager was a 2–0 away win against FK Rabotnički
in the Europa League. In the return leg at Anfield
, Liverpool again won 2–0, winning the tie 4–0 on aggregate. Hodgson's first Premier League game for Liverpool was against Arsenal
. Despite Joe Cole being sent off in the first half and Daniel Agger
being injured at one point, Liverpool drew 1–1, after a last minute own goal by Liverpool goalkeeper José Manuel Reina. Hodgson also recruited goalkeeper Brad Jones
, defenders Danny Wilson
and Paul Konchesky
, midfielders Christian Poulsen
and Raul Meireles, as well as re-signing full-back Fabio Aurelio
, who had been released by the club earlier in the summer, during a busy first summer at the club. Meanwhile, Benitez signings Albert Riera
, Diego Cavalieri
and Javier Mascherano were all sold, whilst Alberto Aquilani
was loaned out to Juventus, and Emiliano Insua
was loaned out to Galatasaray
.
On 29 August 2010, Hodgson achieved his first league
win as manager by defeating West Bromwich Albion 1–0 at Anfield with Fernando Torres
scoring his first goal of the season.
After that, however, Liverpool had a series of disappointing results. The Reds were eliminated from the League Cup
on 23 September by League Two strugglers Northampton Town
at Anfield
, losing on penalties after a 2–2 draw during open play. Prior to the home game against newly-promoted Blackpool
on 3 October, Hodgson responded to his critics, describing himself as "one of the most respected coaches in Europe" and said it is "insulting" to suggest he cannot handle Liverpool's big-name players. Liverpool lost the game 2-1, which continued to pile the misery on Hodgson and his team, leaving them third from bottom after seven games, and Hodgson admitted that his side were potentially facing a relegation battle. It was the club's worst start to a season in 82 years.
By late October 2010, speculation was rife that Hodgson would be sacked as Liverpool manager. Hodgson denied that he had any intention of resigning. He responded aggressively to suggestions that Frank Rijkaard
, who had won the Champions League as manager of Barcelona, would be appointed in his place. However, three straight Premier League victories, including a 2–0 home win over leaders Chelsea, alleviated these speculations, as Liverpool returned to the top half of the table. New Reds owner John W. Henry
backed Hodgson, however he also stated that Liverpool were still building and need new players in the January transfer market.
Whilst this run of victories provided Hodgson some much-needed respite, the team became inconsistent, dropping points in a 1–1 draw at Wigan, losing 2–0 at Stoke City (Liverpool's first defeat to Stoke in 26 years) followed by a 2–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur. However Liverpool's home form had been better, with 3–0 victories over both West Ham Utd and Aston Villa. On 11 December, Liverpool lost 3-1 to Newcastle United.
On 29 December 2010, Liverpool were beaten 1–0 at home by bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club's first loss to Wolves in 27 years. After this defeat, Hodgson criticised Liverpool fans for not supporting him from the beginning of his tenure at Liverpool. At the turn of the year, Liverpool had their lowest points total since the 1953-54 season. A 2–1 home win over Bolton Wanderers in their next game appeared to lift the pressure off Hodgson, only for a 3–1 defeat at Blackburn on 5 January 2011 to spark the club's owners to consider his position. Despite the mounting pressure on Hodgson and increasing doubt over his future at Liverpool, he had been backed to remain in the job by several club legends including Kevin Keegan
, John Barnes
and Steve McManaman
. After 31 games in charge, the shortest reign in Liverpool history, Hodgson left the club by mutual consent on the morning of 8 January 2011, with Kenny Dalglish
announced as his replacement.
Hodgson was dogged throughout his time at Anfield by suggestions that the job was beyond him, in addition to the continued presence of fan favourite Dalglish - who a significant proportion of the support preferred over him as manager. Hodgson did not help his cause with the fans with a series of well-documented and ill-judged comments to the media.
on 11 February 2011 signing a contract until 2012. Hodgson replaced Roberto Di Matteo
after a poor run of form which saw West Brom lose 13 of their previous 18 matches.
Roy Hodgson's first game in charge as West Brom head coach ended in a 1-1 home draw against West Brom's Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. Hodgson helped West Brom to 5 wins and 5 draws from 12 remaining games, including an important 2-1 win at the Hawthorns against the club that had sacked him earlier in the season. Hodgson led West Brom to a Premier League finish of 11th, the best finish the club has had in nearly 30 years (finishing 11th in Division 1 - 1982/83).
. Hodgson, who has a rhotacism speech impediment, is multilingual: in addition to his native English
, he speaks fluent Norwegian
, Swedish
, Japanese
, German
and Italian
, as well as some Danish
, French
and Finnish
.
Hodgson has been a long time supporter of Guide Dogs for the Blind, participating in many fundraising events for the charity throughout his management career. He is partially credited with the idea of placing fluorescent jackets on the animals together with the late Roy Castle
26 November 2011
Malmö FF
Inter Milan
Copenhagen
Fulham
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
.
Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1960s. From 2006 to 2007, he managed the Finland national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, guiding them to their highest ever FIFA ranking
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
of 33rd place, and coming close to qualifying for a major tournament for the first time in the nation's history. He has been the beaten finalist in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and the Europa League. Hodgson has also coached many notable club sides, including Halmstads BK
Halmstads BK
Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title...
, Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Grasshoppers
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
, FC Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
, Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
, Viking, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Liverpool. Hodgson has served several times as a member of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's technical study group at the European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, and he was also a member of the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
technical study group at the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Hodgson speaks five languages
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
and has also worked as a television pundit in several of the countries in which he has coached.
Early life and club career
Hodgson was born in CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. His mother was a local baker in the town, and his father, who was an Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
fan, originally from Walton, Liverpool, worked in a chemical factory. He was educated at John Ruskin Grammar School and was a moderately successful youth player with Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, but was never able to break into the first team. After leaving Crystal Palace he played non-League football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
for several years with Tonbridge, Gravesend & Northfleet, Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
, where he also served as assistant manager, and Carshalton Athletic. He briefly worked as a PE teacher from 1972–73 at Alleyn's School in south London, and later at Hillview High School in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, South Africa.
Early career
Hodgson started his managerial career in 1976 at the Swedish top divisionAllsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
side Halmstad
Halmstads BK
Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title...
. Hodgson spent five years at Halmstads BK, winning the league championship
Swedish football champions
Swedish football champions is a title held by the winners of the highest Swedish football league played each year, Allsvenskan. IFK Göteborg holds the record of most titles with 18 Swedish championships. After winning the 2011 Allsvenskan, Helsingborgs IF are the reigning Swedish football...
in 1976 and 1979. His success with Halmstad in 1976 is considered one of the biggest surprises of all time in Swedish football. The year before, Halmstad had struggled against relegation, and before the 1976 campaign began they were almost universally tipped for relegation. Hodgson himself says that "my greatest achievement would have to be the water-into-wine job at Halmstads BK." Early in his career, he was dubbed the nicest man in the world.
In 1980, he moved to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
in his native England, where he was assistant manager and later manager. Due to the club's financial problems he was largely unsuccessful. In 1983, Hodgson moved back to Sweden to take over Örebro
Örebro SK
Örebro SK, also known as ÖSK or just Örebro, is a Swedish football club based in Örebro. The club, formed on 28 October 1908, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan.-The first years:...
. In 1985, he took over at Malmö FF
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
, which he led to five consecutive league championships
Swedish football champions
Swedish football champions is a title held by the winners of the highest Swedish football league played each year, Allsvenskan. IFK Göteborg holds the record of most titles with 18 Swedish championships. After winning the 2011 Allsvenskan, Helsingborgs IF are the reigning Swedish football...
, two Swedish championships (at the time the Swedish championship was decided through play-offs) and two Swedish Cups
Svenska Cupen
Svenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
. Due to his successful time at Malmö, Hodgson is still highly appreciated by the club's fans who have unofficially named a section of the new Swedbank Stadion
Swedbank Stadion
Swedbank Stadion, often known simply as Stadion, is a football stadium in Malmö, Sweden and the home of Allsvenskan club Malmö FF. In UEFA competitions the stadium is known as Malmö New Stadium due to sponsorship reasons...
"Roy's Hörna" (Roy's Corner). His greatest continental achievement at Malmö was knocking the then-Italian champions Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
out of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, winning 1–0 at home and drawing 1–1 at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
.
Hodgson continues to be held in high regard at Malmö where he is known as 'Royson'. His period as manager of the club is seen as one of the best in the club's history.
Malmö offered Hodgson a lifetime contract, but he declined, saying later that "moving to another place seemed exciting. The decision was also financial. Swedish taxes were so high that even if you were being paid reasonable money, after losing 65% in tax there wasn't a lot left." Hodgson moved to Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
in 1990. He led Xamax to European victories over Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
.
His early coaching career was closely linked to that of his friend Bob Houghton; they worked together at Maidstone, Stranraer and Bristol City, and they both worked in Swedish football at the same time. The pair are credited with transforming Swedish football, bringing in zonal marking for the first time.
Switzerland
Hodgson took over as manager of the Switzerland national teamSwitzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
from Uli Stielike
Uli Stielike
Ulrich "Uli" Stielike is a German football manager and former player.-Club career:Stielike was a West Germany youth international for hometown club SpVgg Ketsch when he got signed by UEFA Cup runner-up Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1973, first coming to action as a full back for the then two times...
on 26 January 1992. Stielike had been the first Swiss coach to have a winning record, winning 13 of the 25 games he was in charge. As Hodgson was succeeding Stielike at the national level, Stielike took over the job Hodgson had just vacated at club level with Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
side Neuchâtel Xamax.
Hodgson took the Schweizer Nati to the 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, losing only one game during qualification, from a group that included Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. The Swiss took four points off Italy, who, managed by the successful former coach Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian football coach. He is best known for his success coaching Italian teams, particularly with Milan where he won back to back European Cups as coach in the late eighties where he was head coach of the Italy national football team . He was twice manager of A.C...
, went on to make it to the World Cup final and lose only on penalties. In the game in Italy, the Swiss were at one stage leading 2–0 before being pegged back to 2–2. This was Switzerland's first World Cup since 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. At the 1994 World Cup, the Swiss finished runners-up in their group, qualifying for the Round of 16 where they lost to Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
The Swiss easily qualified for Euro 1996, but Hodgson left immediately after qualification, on 15 November 1995, to join Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. He had in fact been doing both jobs from October of that year. Without Hodgson, the Swiss had a difficult time at Euro '96 losing to the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. Switzerland finished bottom of their group with only one point from three matches.
At their peak while managed by Hodgson, Switzerland were rated the third best international side in the world, according to the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
.
Internazionale
Before the European Championships, Hodgson joined Italian Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
giants Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, where he worked from 1995 to 1997. With significant investment, he presided over a rebuilding phase. Inter had finished 13th and 6th in the seasons prior to his arrival. After a terrible start to the season, Hodgson was brought in and guided the club to 7th place in the 1995–96 season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. The 1996–97 season saw Hodgson leave Inter after 14 wins, 13 draws and five defeats in Serie A, with Inter placed 3rd in the league, and he was replaced by Luigi Simoni
Luigi Simoni
Luigi "Gigi" Simoni is an Italian football manager, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, and a former player.-Biography:Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore ....
whose side finished 2nd in the league in the 1997–8 season and won the UEFA Cup. In 2009 Hodgson recalled his time at Inter: "We lacked stars, apart from Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
. It wasn't the Inter we see today of household names. They weren't the best technically but physically they were like machines. The Premier League is like that now, but back then Italy was far ahead."
Hodgson managed to get his Inter team, containing Javier Zanetti
Javier Zanetti
Javier Adelmar Zanetti is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Inter. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback...
, Youri Djorkaeff
Youri Djorkaeff
Youri Raffi Djorkaeff is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000...
and Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
, through to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final
1997 UEFA Cup Final
The 1997 UEFA Cup Final was contested between Schalke 04 of Germany and Internazionale of Italy. The tie was a tight affair, with each leg being won 1–0 by the home-team. After 210 minutes of football, the tie was eventually settled on penalties, with Schalke winning 4–1 at the Stadio...
where they would play Schalke 04. Given that Inter had a recent history of winning UEFA Cup finals, with victories in both 1990 and 1994, the Italian side started as favourites. When the German underdogs won the final in Milan on penalties, Inter fans pelted Hodgson with coins and lighters.
Hodgson later admitted that, throughout his one-and-a-half seasons at Inter, there had been regular speculation that he would get the sack, but he insisted he had had the support of the owners.
Blackburn Rovers
In the 1997 close season, Hodgson was tempted by Jack WalkerJack Walker
Jack Walker was a British industrialist and businessman, from Blackburn, Lancashire. Walker invested tens of millions of pounds in Blackburn Rovers football club after amassing a personal fortune of £600 million...
to become manager of Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. Rovers had finished 13th the previous season — only two seasons after winning the title — and had been in danger of relegation. Manager Ray Harford
Ray Harford
Raymond Thomas Harford was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.-Playing career:...
had quit on 25 October 1996 with Blackburn winless, bottom of the Premier League and just knocked out of the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
by Division Two underdogs Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
. Coach Tony Parkes
Tony Parkes
Anthony "Tony" Parkes is an English former professional footballer. After retiring, he became a coach. He was most recently caretaker manager at Blackpool. It was the seventh such role of his coaching career, having performed the role on six occasions for...
had been put in charge for the rest of the season, and had overseen an improvement in league form to secure survival, but it was clear that chairman Walker wanted a more experienced man to build a side capable of regaining the form of a few years earlier, and Hodgson accepted the offer to take over.
In the 1997–98 season, his first season in charge, Blackburn finished 6th, qualifying for the UEFA cup and appearing to be in the ascendancy, especially as they had been outsiders in the title race for more than half of the season and Hodgson had been voted Premier League Manager of the Month on two occasions; however, the team's form collapsed dramatically in the second half of the season, and it was only on the last day of the season that they secured a UEFA place.
Hodgson's second season with Blackburn did not match the relative success of the first, due to numerous injuries, dressing room unrest, the failure to find an adequate replacement for departed central defender Colin Hendry
Colin Hendry
Edward Colin Hendry is a retired Scottish footballer and manager, who played as a defender. Hendry started his career with Dundee in 1983 and spent spells at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Rangers, Coventry City, Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool...
, and a succession of poor buys – notably the £7.5 million Kevin Davies
Kevin Davies
Kevin Cyril Davies is an English footballer who currently plays for Bolton Wanderers and the England national football team as a striker. He was made Bolton team captain in January 2009....
. As a result, Blackburn had a disastrous start to the season and Hodgson was sacked on November 21st 1998, with the club bottom of the league table. As Hodgson later explained, Blackburn's owner gave him the chance to resign honourably, but he refused to do so, leaving the club with no option but to sack him: "To Blackburn's honour, Jack Walker wanted me to resign, he wanted to still pay for the rest of my contract. He said, 'Why don't you resign? You've had enough, it's not working out.' I refused to do that, arrogant of course as I was in those days. I thought if they stuck with me I'd save them from relegation. I do think that the players were very much still with me, so I couldn't resign because that would be a suggestion that in some way I was doing something or something was happening which I didn't see to be the case or the truth. I gave him no choice but to sack me". His final game was a home
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
defeat by Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
.
Hodgson later complained that his failure at Blackburn tarnished his reputation in England, whilst his record on the continent should have made him comparable to Sir Alex Ferguson: "Of course, my track record, if people bothered to study it, would put me in the same category as [Sir Alex] Ferguson enjoys today, but people don't talk about what I've done outside England," he says. "Here, they just talk about Blackburn Rovers, but that's just a very small part of a 26-year career. To most English journalists it's the only part. I've got an excellent track record in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and in Denmark, where FC Copenhagen was my last job before I went to Udinese. We won the league there by seven points. Admittedly, the fact that I walked out and went to Italy to some extent tarnished that reputation..."
Return to Inter, Grasshopper
In 1999, he had a brief second stint as caretaker at Inter before returning to Switzerland to coach GrasshopperGrasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
for a season. In 2000, Hodgson was one of three candidates to take over as England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
manager; however, after having agreed to move to Copenhagen prior to the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
offering him a contract, he was obliged to refuse any offer and the job went to Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
.
Copenhagen, Udinese
Hodgson moved to Denmark and became manager of FC CopenhagenF.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
, where he proved an instant success, taking a team that had finished 7th and 8th in the two previous seasons, and winning the Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship in the 2000–01 season – the club's first championship since 1993. In 2001, he left Copenhagen to move to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
side Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
. With the club five points above the relegation zone, Hodgson was fired after just four months after allegedly stating that he regretted taking up the post. Newspapers quoted him saying: "Obviously I'm very happy to be back at this level of football, but I could have chosen a better club to come back to. It's an extremely strange club." Hodgson denied making the comments
but later claimed that he wanted to leave so was happy to be sacked.
United Arab Emirates
Hodgson took over as manager of the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...
in April 2002, managing the senior and Olympic sides. Speaking of his time as manager of the United Arab Emirates, Hodgson said: "That was a period where I didn't know where my career was going. But all these experiences enrich you and it was good to know I could get my message to players who many say are uncoachable. It's hard work; they're basically lazy. But I had them drilled and pressuring opponents almost like an English team. Most coaches who go there are just fannying around, but it's not my nature."
Viking
In May 2004, he moved to Norwegian club VikingViking F.K.
Viking Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Stavanger. The club was founded in 1899 as football was becoming increasingly popular...
. The club had finished fifth in the season before Hodgson took over, but finished ninth under Hodgson in their first season in a new stadium, Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion is a football stadium, built at Jåttåvågen, in Stavanger, Norway. It was inaugurated in May 2004 and cost 160 million NOK to build . 50 million NOK, plus the lot it was built on, was a gift from the municipality. It replaced Stavanger Stadion as the home stadium for Viking F.K....
. Following a spell at the top of the table, Viking finished fifth in the 2005 season. 2005 was also a good year for Hodgson and Viking in the UEFA Cup, with victories against Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
and Austria Wien
FK Austria Wien
Fußballklub Austria Wien is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. They are considered the most successful club in Austria, having won the highest Austrian Bundesliga 23 times, the Austrian Cup 27 times and the Austrian Supercup 6 times. They also reached the UEFA...
as the highlights. On 15 August 2005, he agreed to take over as coach of the Finnish national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
for the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
Finland
Hodgson narrowly failed to reach Euro 2008 with Finland, a country who have never qualified for a major tournament. Although Hodgson's win ratio of just 27.3% was the worst of any Finland manager since 2000, all six of his wins came in official qualifying matches allowing Finland to come fourth in their group with a respectable 24 points, missing out on qualification by a mere three points. Indeed, Finland still had a chance to qualify in their last match. Hodgson's Finland were praised for well organized defending but criticized for inefficient attacking – five of Finland's 14 qualification games ended in 0–0 draws. Hodgson's contract expired at the end of November, and although the Finnish FA expressed their willingness to extend it, Hodgson decided to move on. Prior to taking up an ambassadorial role at Inter, Hodgson was linked with the vacant Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
manager's job. He was also considered an outside candidate to replace Steve McClaren
Steve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
as England manager,
having been linked previously to the job after the departures of Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
and Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, and given his international management record and nationality.
Fulham
On 28 December 2007, in a surprise appointment, Hodgson accepted the post of manager at struggling Premier League team FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, with his contract beginning on 30 December 2007. He initially endured a run of very poor results with the club, including being knocked out of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
on penalties after two draws against League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. Apparently certainties for relegation to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, Fulham picked up just nine points from Hodgson's first thirteen league games. However, a run of twelve points from the last five games of the season, including a 3–2 win over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
after being 2–0 down with twenty minutes remaining, secured the Cottagers' survival on the final day of the season.
In the 2008–09 season, Hodgson led Fulham to unprecedented success, guiding his side to 7th place in the Premier League, the club's highest ever finish, and ensuring qualification for the new UEFA Europa League. There were calls for Hodgson to be given the Premier League Manager of the Year award, and he received much praise for the signings of Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
, Andy Johnson and Brede Hangeland
Brede Hangeland
Brede Paulsen Hangeland is a Norwegian footballer who plays for Fulham in the Premier League and the Norwegian national team, of which he is the captain. The son of a Norwegian oil company worker, Hangeland was born in Houston, Texas during his parents' two-year spell in the United States, but...
, and for the improvement in Bobby Zamora's
Bobby Zamora
Robert Lester "Bobby" Zamora is an English footballer who plays for Fulham and the England national football team. Zamora began his career at Football League club Bristol Rovers, but was soon signed by Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found first team success...
performances. Hodgson's spell at Fulham greatly revived his reputation in England after his time in charge of Blackburn over a decade earlier, with renewed speculation linking him to the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
job should Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
have left.
In the 2009–10 season, Hodgson enjoyed an impressive run in the Europa League. The club's campaign, which started in July 2009, featured impressive performances in the group stage, including defeating Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
at the hostile St. Jakob-Park
St. Jakob-Park
' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland...
in the final group game to qualify for the knockout stage at the expense of the Swiss club. In the following rounds, Fulham went on to eliminate holders Shakhtar
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
, Italian runners-up Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and German champions Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
. The victory against Juventus was especially memorable as Fulham came back from 4–1 down on aggregate to win the tie 5–4. On 29 April 2010, Hodgson guided Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
to their first major European final in their 130 year history, winning the home leg 2-1 to gain a 2–1 aggregate victory over Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
in the Europa League semi final. In the Premier League they finished 12th.
In May 2010, Hodgson was voted the 2010 LMA Manager of the Year
LMA Manager of the Year
The League Managers Association Awards is an annual award ceremony in English football, awarded by the League Managers Association. The most prestigious award is the LMA Manager of the Year Award It is presented to a manager from any division for his achievements in the prior season...
by a record margin. Hodgson received the award after a poll of coaches, including managers from the top four leagues in England. Two days later, he watched his Fulham side lose the club's first European final 2–1 to Atlético Madrid of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
On 30 June, the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
reported that Hodgson would be named as the new Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
manager after the club had agreed a £2 million compensation deal with Fulham. The announcement came after weeks of speculation following the departure of Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
.
Liverpool
On 1 July 2010, Hodgson was officially appointed as manager of LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, signing a three–year contract. Former Liverpool striker and manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
had been asked by Managing Director Christian Purslow
Christian Purslow
Christian Mark Cecil Purslow is a British-born businessman, co-founder of private equity firm MidOcean Partners, and former Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club.-Early life:...
to help draw up a short list of candidates. Unimpressed by that shortlist, Dalglish put himself forward as a candidate. Some argued that the appointment of Dalglish would be a backward step. Former Liverpool players who had worked with Dalglish, such as Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
, backed him for the job. Dalglish's application was rejected by the club, who publicly never gave a reason for their decision but may have felt he had been away from management for too long. Hodgson emerged as the front runner, the logic behind his appointment being that he could use his long experience in management 'to steady the ship'. It was realised that, with the club up for sale when he was brought in, Liverpool were likely to face some turbulent times, but Hodgson's appointment met with mixed reactions from fans, particularly after Dalglish had expressed interest in the position. At the time he was reigning LMA Manager of the Year
LMA Manager of the Year
The League Managers Association Awards is an annual award ceremony in English football, awarded by the League Managers Association. The most prestigious award is the LMA Manager of the Year Award It is presented to a manager from any division for his achievements in the prior season...
and had just enjoyed a successful season with Fulham; however, there were many who felt that he had insufficient experience with 'big clubs' despite his tenure at Internazionale, and that he would struggle to manage genuinely star players. At the time of his appointment the newspaper the Daily Telegraph asked: "Is he high profile enough for Liverpool, or is he a mid-table manager over his head?" Some fans worried that he was just a "short term appointment". Former Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
manager Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
later claimed that he had been offered the job before Hodgson, but turned it down.
On 8 July 2010, it was revealed that Milan Jovanović
Milan Jovanovic (footballer born 1981)
Milan Jovanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Anderlecht and the Serbia national team.-Early life:...
had completed his long-awaited move to Merseyside to become Hodgson's first signing (although the signing had been instigated by Rafael Benitez before he left Liverpool). On 19 July 2010, Hodgson's second signing was confirmed as Joe Cole
Joe Cole
Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...
, on a four-year contract on a free transfer from Chelsea. Hodgson's first game in charge of Liverpool was to be against Saudi champions Al Hilal
Al Hilal
Al Hilal may refer to:*Al-Hilal , a weekly Urdu language newspaper established by the Indian leader Maulana Abul Kalam AzadIn football:*Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabian football club*Al-Hilal , Libyan football club...
in Austria, but due to a waterlogged pitch the game was cancelled. Instead, Hodgson's first game as manager was a friendly against his former managed club Grasshopper Club Zürich on 21 July 2010, which ended 0–0. On 29 July 2010, his first competitive game as manager was a 2–0 away win against FK Rabotnički
FK Rabotnicki
FK Rabotnički is a football club that plays at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. They currently compete in the Macedonian First League.-History:...
in the Europa League. In the return leg at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Liverpool again won 2–0, winning the tie 4–0 on aggregate. Hodgson's first Premier League game for Liverpool was against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. Despite Joe Cole being sent off in the first half and Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
being injured at one point, Liverpool drew 1–1, after a last minute own goal by Liverpool goalkeeper José Manuel Reina. Hodgson also recruited goalkeeper Brad Jones
Brad Jones
Bradley Jones also known as Brad is a retired Australian racing driver. Jones now acts as team co-principal with his brother Kim in the V8 Supercar racing team, Brad Jones Racing.-Motorsport career:...
, defenders Danny Wilson
Danny Wilson (Scottish footballer)
Daniel "Danny" Wilson is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a centre back or left back for Premier League club Liverpool and the Scottish national side.-Rangers:...
and Paul Konchesky
Paul Konchesky
Paul Martyn Konchesky is an English footballer who plays as a left back. Currently signed to Leicester City, he has previously played for Charlton, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, joining his present club in July 2011...
, midfielders Christian Poulsen
Christian Poulsen
Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen is a Danish footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1. He has played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga championship with F.C...
and Raul Meireles, as well as re-signing full-back Fabio Aurelio
Fábio Aurélio
Fábio Aurélio Rodrigues is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Liverpool of the Premier League, having previously played for São Paulo and Valencia. He plays as either a left back or left winger and has represented Brazil at Under-17 and Under-20 levels and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics...
, who had been released by the club earlier in the summer, during a busy first summer at the club. Meanwhile, Benitez signings Albert Riera
Albert Riera
Albert Riera Ortega is a Spanish footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK in Turkey, as a left winger.He made a name for himself at Espanyol , and also played professionally in France, England and Greece.Riera gained 16 caps for Spain, representing...
, Diego Cavalieri
Diego Cavalieri
Diego Cavalieri is a Brazilian goalkeeper, currently playing for Fluminense. He is of Italian ancestry and holds both an Italian and Brazilian passport.-Palmeiras:...
and Javier Mascherano were all sold, whilst Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...
was loaned out to Juventus, and Emiliano Insua
Emiliano Insúa
Emiliano Adrián Insúa Zapata is an Argentine football defender who plays for Sporting CP and for the Argentina national team.Insúa is a European Union citizen due to one of his grandparents being a Spanish citizen.-Early career:...
was loaned out to Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
.
On 29 August 2010, Hodgson achieved his first league
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
win as manager by defeating West Bromwich Albion 1–0 at Anfield with Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
scoring his first goal of the season.
After that, however, Liverpool had a series of disappointing results. The Reds were eliminated from the League Cup
2010–11 Football League Cup
The 2010–11 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 51st season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
on 23 September by League Two strugglers Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, losing on penalties after a 2–2 draw during open play. Prior to the home game against newly-promoted Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on 3 October, Hodgson responded to his critics, describing himself as "one of the most respected coaches in Europe" and said it is "insulting" to suggest he cannot handle Liverpool's big-name players. Liverpool lost the game 2-1, which continued to pile the misery on Hodgson and his team, leaving them third from bottom after seven games, and Hodgson admitted that his side were potentially facing a relegation battle. It was the club's worst start to a season in 82 years.
By late October 2010, speculation was rife that Hodgson would be sacked as Liverpool manager. Hodgson denied that he had any intention of resigning. He responded aggressively to suggestions that Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager of Dutch and Surinamese descent and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side,...
, who had won the Champions League as manager of Barcelona, would be appointed in his place. However, three straight Premier League victories, including a 2–0 home win over leaders Chelsea, alleviated these speculations, as Liverpool returned to the top half of the table. New Reds owner John W. Henry
John W. Henry
John William Henry II is a futures and foreign exchange trading advisor who founded John W. Henry & Company . He is the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C., and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. In March 2006, Boston Magazine estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion, but noted...
backed Hodgson, however he also stated that Liverpool were still building and need new players in the January transfer market.
Whilst this run of victories provided Hodgson some much-needed respite, the team became inconsistent, dropping points in a 1–1 draw at Wigan, losing 2–0 at Stoke City (Liverpool's first defeat to Stoke in 26 years) followed by a 2–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur. However Liverpool's home form had been better, with 3–0 victories over both West Ham Utd and Aston Villa. On 11 December, Liverpool lost 3-1 to Newcastle United.
On 29 December 2010, Liverpool were beaten 1–0 at home by bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club's first loss to Wolves in 27 years. After this defeat, Hodgson criticised Liverpool fans for not supporting him from the beginning of his tenure at Liverpool. At the turn of the year, Liverpool had their lowest points total since the 1953-54 season. A 2–1 home win over Bolton Wanderers in their next game appeared to lift the pressure off Hodgson, only for a 3–1 defeat at Blackburn on 5 January 2011 to spark the club's owners to consider his position. Despite the mounting pressure on Hodgson and increasing doubt over his future at Liverpool, he had been backed to remain in the job by several club legends including Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
and Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
. After 31 games in charge, the shortest reign in Liverpool history, Hodgson left the club by mutual consent on the morning of 8 January 2011, with Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
announced as his replacement.
Hodgson was dogged throughout his time at Anfield by suggestions that the job was beyond him, in addition to the continued presence of fan favourite Dalglish - who a significant proportion of the support preferred over him as manager. Hodgson did not help his cause with the fans with a series of well-documented and ill-judged comments to the media.
West Bromwich Albion
Hodgson was appointed head coach of West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on 11 February 2011 signing a contract until 2012. Hodgson replaced Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team, and played...
after a poor run of form which saw West Brom lose 13 of their previous 18 matches.
Roy Hodgson's first game in charge as West Brom head coach ended in a 1-1 home draw against West Brom's Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. Hodgson helped West Brom to 5 wins and 5 draws from 12 remaining games, including an important 2-1 win at the Hawthorns against the club that had sacked him earlier in the season. Hodgson led West Brom to a Premier League finish of 11th, the best finish the club has had in nearly 30 years (finishing 11th in Division 1 - 1982/83).
Personal life
Hodgson is married to Sheila, with whom he has two sons, Christopher and Michael. He is known to be a fan of rock band The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. Hodgson, who has a rhotacism speech impediment, is multilingual: in addition to his native English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, he speaks fluent Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, as well as some Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
.
Hodgson has been a long time supporter of Guide Dogs for the Blind, participating in many fundraising events for the charity throughout his management career. He is partially credited with the idea of placing fluorescent jackets on the animals together with the late Roy Castle
Roy Castle
Roy Castle OBE was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. He attended Honley High School, where there is now a building in his name...
Manager
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Halmstad Halmstads BK Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title... |
 |
January 1976 | November 1980 |
|||||
| Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
 |
3 January 1982 | 30 April 1982 |
|||||
| Örebro Örebro SK Örebro SK, also known as ÖSK or just Örebro, is a Swedish football club based in Örebro. The club, formed on 28 October 1908, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan.-The first years:... |
|
January 1983 | November 1984 |
|||||
| Malmö FF Malmö FF Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white... |
|
January 1985 | November 1989 |
|||||
| Neuchâtel Xamax Neuchâtel Xamax Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play... |
 |
July 1990 | June 1992 |
|||||
| Switzerland Switzerland national football team The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland... |
|
26 January 1992 | 15 November 1995 |
|||||
| Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
 |
5 October 1995 | 25 May 1997 |
|||||
| Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
|
1 June 1997 | 21 November 1998 |
|||||
| Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
|
5 May 1999 | 27 June 1999 |
|||||
| Grasshoppers Grasshopper-Club Zürich Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team... |
|
July 1999 | June 2000 |
|||||
| FC Copenhagen F.C. Copenhagen F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment.... |
 |
July 2000 | June 2001 |
|||||
| Udinese Udinese Calcio Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa.... |
|
21 June 2001 | 10 December 2001 |
|||||
| United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates national football team The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates... |
 |
9 April 2002 | 14 January 2004 |
|||||
| Viking Viking F.K. Viking Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Stavanger. The club was founded in 1899 as football was becoming increasingly popular... |
 |
11 July 2004 | 20 December 2005 |
|||||
| Finland Finland national football team The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland.... |
 |
16 January 2006 | 30 November 2007 |
|||||
| Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
|
30 December 2007 | 1 July 2010 |
|||||
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
|
1 July 2010 | 8 January 2011 |
|||||
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
|
11 February 2011 | align=left|Present |
|||||
| Total |
||||||||
26 November 2011
Club
Halmstad- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
(2): 1976Allsvenskan 1976Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1976.-League standings:- References :...
, 1979Allsvenskan 1979Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1979.-League standings:- References :...
Malmö FF
- Swedish football champions (2): 1986Allsvenskan 1986Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1986.-Overview:The league was contested by 12 teams, with Malmö FF winning the championship after the play-offs.-League standings:- References :...
, 1988Allsvenskan 1988Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1988.-Overview:The league was contested by 12 teams, with Malmö FF winning the championship after the play-offs.-League standings:- Semi-finals :* Örgryte IS–Malmö FF 0–1, 1–2 '... - AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
(5): 1985Allsvenskan 1985Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1985.-Overview:The league was contested by 12 teams, with Örgryte IS winning the championship after the play-offs.-League standings:- References :...
, 1986Allsvenskan 1986Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1986.-Overview:The league was contested by 12 teams, with Malmö FF winning the championship after the play-offs.-League standings:- References :...
, 1987Allsvenskan 1987Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1987.-Overview:Allsvenskan 1987 was played between 12 April and 4 October 1987 and was won by Malmo FF. The championship play-off finals were played from 10 to 31 October 1987 and was won by IFK Gothenburg, who defeated Malmo FF in the final and thus became...
, 1988Allsvenskan 1988Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1988.-Overview:The league was contested by 12 teams, with Malmö FF winning the championship after the play-offs.-League standings:- Semi-finals :* Örgryte IS–Malmö FF 0–1, 1–2 '...
, 1989Allsvenskan 1989Statistics of Allsvenskan in season 1989.-Overview:The league was contested by 12 teams, with IFK Norrköping winning the championship after the play-offs.-League standings:- Semi-finals :* Örebro SK–IFK Norrköping 1–1, 0–3 '... - Svenska CupenSvenska CupenSvenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
(2): 1985–86, 1988–89
Inter Milan
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Finalists (1): 19971997 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1997 UEFA Cup Final was contested between Schalke 04 of Germany and Internazionale of Italy. The tie was a tight affair, with each leg being won 1–0 by the home-team. After 210 minutes of football, the tie was eventually settled on penalties, with Schalke winning 4–1 at the Stadio...
Copenhagen
- Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
(1): 2000–01Danish Superliga 2000-01The 2000–01 Danish Superliga season was the 11th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association... - Danish Super CupDanish SupercupThe Danish Super Cup was played for by the Danish League champions and the Danish Cup Winners.-Winners:*1994 : Brøndby IF 4-0 Silkeborg IF*1995 : F.C. Copenhagen 2-1 Aalborg BK*1996 : Brøndby IF 4-0 AGF...
(1): 2001
Fulham
- UEFA Europa League Finalists (1): 2010