Roy Hodgson set for emotional farewell to Crystal Palace fans after club confirm he will step down in the summer
Crystal Palace have announced that Roy Hodgson will step down as manager at the end of the current season.
The former England coach, 73, has been in charge at his boyhood club since 2017, during which time he has succeeded in keeping them in the Premier League.
“After more than 45 years of coaching I have decided that the time is right for me to step away from the rigours of top-flight Premier League football,” Hodgson said.
“It’s been a particularly rewarding period of my football life and career to have been able to spend these last four seasons with Palace.
“I feel now that at the end of another successful season, in which we have secured our Premier League status, the moment is right for me to step down from my responsibilities of being a full-time manager.”
The timing of the announcement means that Palace fans will have the chance to salute Hodgson at tomorrow’s home game against Arsenal.
Palace’s penultimate Premier League fixture of the season will be the first with fans present since last year, following the lifting of further lockdown restrictions this week.
Hodgson ‘a magnificent human’, says Palace chairman
“It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to work alongside Roy, who is both a magnificent human and an outstanding football manager,” said club chairman Steve Parish.
“I know how much it has meant to Roy managing the club he supported as a child, adding to his distinguished and unparalleled career in football management.
“His record with us simply cannot be overstated, he is the only Palace manager to secure four years in the Premier League and he has helped give us stability in the most turbulent of times.
“We will be forever grateful for his immense contribution and I am delighted that we will have the opportunity to show our appreciation at Selhurst Park after the Arsenal match, alongside 6,500 supporters.
“Roy will leave us after our final Premier League match of the season with our enormous thanks for his incredible contribution to our club, and with our very best wishes for the future.”
Former Inter Milan, Fulham, Blackburn and Switzerland boss Hodgson’s last game in charge will be against another of his old teams, Liverpool, at Anfield on Sunday.