Roy Hodgson in shock return to football as Championship club's interim head coach at the age of 78

Bristol City have sacked head coach Gerhard Struber and announced the shock appointment of Roy Hodgson as his short-term successor.

Struber initially had the Robins competing for promotion to the Premier League, but a dismal run of form has led to the club dropping down to 15th position in the Championship table.

Now 12 points adrift of the playoffs with seven matches remaining, there is seemingly an acceptance at Ashton Gate that they are out of contention.

As a result, the decision has been made to hand 78-year-old Hodgson a surprise return to football, over two years since his last role at Crystal Palace.

The former England, Liverpool and Palace boss has been appointed as the interim head coach for the remainder of 2025-26.

Bristol City chief reveals reasons for Hodgson appointment

Speaking to the club's official website, chief executive officer Charlie Boss suggested that the first-team squad dropping their "standards" was the reason for bringing Hodgson out of retirement.

He said: "I would like to thank Gerhard and Bernd for their hard work over the past nine months and we wish them all the best.

“Roy’s appointment is about more than the results of the next seven games. Over the remainder of the season he will help us set the standards and values at the club that we we will need to be successful going forwards.

"Roy is a vastly experienced coach who has achieved at the highest level and he will support me, our players and our football staff as we build towards being ready for the Premier League.

A message from Roy Hodgson. pic.twitter.com/rdMTKDTM7D
— Bristol City FC (@BristolCity) March 27, 2026

"We are in the process of appointing a Sporting Director who will have a direct input into the recruitment of a new permanent head coach.”

How far have Bristol City's standards dropped?

At the start of December, Bristol City were handily placed in sixth position in the Championship with 29 points from 18 matches. They also sat just four points adrift of second spot.

In the 21 games that have followed, Bristol City have only accumulated 22 points and lost 11 times.

Six defeats have come in nine matches across all competitions, including an FA Cup fourth-round exit to Port Vale.

Hodgson's first game in charge, and what will be his 1,270th of his career, will be away at Charlton Athletic on April 3.