Roy Hodgson named as Crystal Palace's new boss; says 'privileged' to make comeback
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Mar 21, 2023, 2:30 PM ISTCrystal Palace sacked club boss Patrick Viera last week during Saint Patrick's Day. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, it re-appointed Roy Hodgson as its manager, a couple of seasons after leaving.
Last week, Crystal Palace was in the spotlight after sacking club boss Patrick Viera following a string of poor results. In contrast, his departure from the club happened during Saint Patrick's Day, leading to a global meme fest from football fanatics. Meanwhile, only a few days later, the club agreed on a deal with the former club and England head coach Roy Hodgson, as the 75-year-old returns to London as the new manager, only a couple of seasons after he had gone on a break.
As of now, Hodgson's appointment is valid until the end of the season. A further call on his full-time appointment would be taken following an assessment of his performance for the remainder of the season. In the meantime, Paddy McCarthy will join Hodgson as the assistant coach, Ray Lewington will be training the first team, and Dean Kiely will continue as the goalkeeping boss. At the same time, Darren Powell will be managing the U-21 side.
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Following his re-appointment, Hodgson commented, "It is a privilege to be asked to return to the club, which has always meant so much to me and to be given the important task of turning the team's fortunes around. Our sole objective is to start winning matches and get the points necessary to ensure our Premier League status. Crystal Palace is known for its fighting spirit, and I do not doubt that all our supporters will fight with us, beginning with the visit of Leicester City a week Saturday."
On the other hand, club chairman Steve Parish remarked, "I would like to welcome Roy and Ray back to the club. We are obviously in a very challenging period. Still, we believe that Roy's and Ray's experience, knowledge of the club and players, and Paddy's can help fulfil the immediate requirement of keeping us in the league."
Hodgson's previous stint with the Eagles was between 2017-21, during which he helped the club win 54 of the 162 meetings, losing 70 and drawing 38, and possessed a win percentage of 33.3. While leaving the Palace in 2021, he was asked if he was retiring, to which he answered, "I am stepping away from football for a while, but who knows what the future will be? It is a never-say-never moment. I've seen so many people retire with all the fanfare blazing, only to surface again somewhere in a fairly short time. I'd prefer not to do that."
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