Roy Hodgson has secured his first job since leaving Bristol City last season, joining UEFA's Technical Observer Group at the age of 79.
The former England manager, who has enjoyed a 50-year managerial career across eight countries, took over the Championship club in March 2026 with the side sitting 16th in the table. He guided them to a 12th-place finish in the 2025/26 campaign, securing their safety before departing in May.
Role with UEFA
Hodgson will work alongside former top-flight managers including Arne Slot, Erik ten Hag, Thomas Frank, Roberto Martinez and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. UEFA said the group will analyse the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League with "stats and video assistance, enabling them to deliver detailed reports on the latest developments in coaching, which are shared among the footballing community to give a dynamic account of the state of the game."
In announcing his addition, the governing body wrote: "One of the most experienced Technical Observers, Hodgson has managed a total of 22 different teams in eight countries, including four national sides: Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Finland and England. The well-travelled veteran, who speaks five languages, last season returned to Bristol City to help them avoid relegation."
Return to the dugout
Hodgson had stepped down from full-time management after his second spell in charge of Crystal Palace, but returned to the dugout on a short-term basis earlier this year. He told BBC Radio Bristol: "I was relatively happily retired before this came along. It just probably showed there are opportunities sometimes that come your way that maybe seem a little bit left field and you wonder, 'Am I really capable of taking this on?' And I proved to myself I am. There's no doubt about that."
He questioned whether he would take on another head coaching job, adding: "Any fears I might have had that, 'Well, you're too old for this now, you can't get out on the field with the players, you can't do the coaching and manage the team in the way you always did.' No, that's not true, I can do.
"On the other hand, whether I want to put myself in this position again and offer myself up for that type of employment, that's another question altogether. Because I am the age I am and I've had the career I've had, which I'm very pleased with and very satisfied with, it's given me so much."
