Roy Hodgson stood down as Crystal Palace manager “given recent circumstances” to allow “the club to plan ahead,”
and Oliver Glasner was appointed as his replacement two hours before kick-off in Monday night’s 1-1 draw against
Everton.
Hodgson, who is said to have been on the verge of being fired after a poor run of results that culminated in a 3-1 loss
to Chelsea in his 200th game as Palace manager, needed medical attention after becoming ill during a training
session on Thursday and was hospitalized for two days before being released. Palace had to cancel a press conference
after the former England manager became ill, but the club confirmed on Monday that the 76-year-old is “out of
hospital and doing well”.
“This club is very special and means so much to me, and it has played a big part in my footballing life,” Hodgson said
in a statement on Palace’s website, confirming his resignation.
“I have thoroughly loved my six seasons here since it has provided me with the opportunity to work with world-class players and staff while doing what I enjoy every day. However, given current circumstances, I believe it is prudent for
the club to plan ahead, thus I have decided to step aside so that the club may move on with their plans for a new manager, which are scheduled for this summer.
Glasner, the former Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg head coach, was named the club’s new manager just over an hour after Hodgson’s resignation was confirmed.
He was sighted at Tottenham’s game against Wolves on Saturday, ahead of Palace’s trip to Spurs on March 2, after agreeing a deal last week until 2026 with the option of a year extension. The 49-year-old Austrian is thought to have
met with the chairman, Steve Parish, and the sporting director, Dougie Freedman, on Friday at a London hotel to finalise the specifics of his contract.
