© EuroFootball.com
The new coach of the England national team, Roy Hodgson, has been appointed, signing a four-year contract. The 64-year-old Englishman will finish the season with "West Brom" club, currently in 10th place in the Premier League, and then will take on the work with the national team.
Harry Redknapp, who was considered the favorite to replace the Italian Fabio Capello after his resignation in the summer, was standing at the helm of London's "Tottenham", but the English Football Association (FA) only negotiated with Hodgson.
"Every coach needs to earn the favor of their players. This is not the first time I've found myself in a new team, and my CV shows that things have gone pretty well," said the specialist.
Speaking about the upcoming European Championship, Hodgson said: "We go to every tournament to win it, because we are one of the big footballing nations. Of course, it won't be easy, but it's important that we receive all-round support."
During his career, the Englishman has coached three national teams: Switzerland, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates. Since Switzerland failed to qualify for major tournaments from 1960, they reached the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup and secured a spot in the 1996 European Championships. At that time, the Finnish national team rose to their highest position in the FIFA rankings in 2006-2007 - 33rd.
It was already mentioned a few years ago that Hodgson could take over the reins of the England national team, but his reputation was damaged by the first half of the 2010-2011 season when he took on the job at "Liverpool" club and was soon fired due to poor results. Currently, his team at "West Brom" is in 10th place in the Premier League.
So far, Harry Redknapp, who is currently leading London's "Tottenham", has been considered the favorite to replace Capello.
