Hodgson deal talks postponed until after Euros
ANY discussions regarding a new deal for England boss Roy Hodgson will be delayed until after Euro 2016, according to Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn.
The FA is keen to avoid what it describes as the “unsavoury” situation which occurred when previous boss Fabio Capello was handed a lucrative contract extension prior to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
England underperformed at the tournament and were dispatched 4-1 by Germany in the second round, which left Capello under the microscope. The Italian resigned in February 2012.
Hodgson’s four-year contract is due to expire after the European Championships next summer, and Glenn insists the 68-year-old is content to head into the tournament with his future in limbo.
“It has been made to be more of an issue than it is. Roy is very comfortable with the situation. He knows it is a results business,” said Glenn yesterday.
“We want to avoid the slightly unsavoury situation we had with Fabio Capello at the World Cup. Everything we want to do with Roy and the senior team is what are the best ways to make Roy successful. If it is a change, it is a welcome one.”
England have breezed through qualifying for Euro 2016 and boast a perfect record after eight matches, while victory over Switzerland at Wembley on Tuesday secured top spot for Hodgson’s side in Group E.
The Three Lions endured a harrowing group-stage exit in their last major tournament in Brazil last summer, although a stated aim for of FA chairman Greg Dyke is to win the 2022 World Cup, a target which Glenn refuses to quash.
“We have this big ambition to win the World Cup in 2022 but we have three tournaments before then. Why not go with ambition? Unless you have ambition, you rarely succeed,” added Glenn.
“It is realistic. Any good organisation, whether in football or business, needs ambition. The proverbial one of JFK saying by the end of the decade there will be a man on the moon was a great rallying cry to develop Nasa.”