Why Bristol City have appointed Roy Hodgson - ‘Premier League’ claim made as Gerhard Struber sacked | OneFootball

The Robins have appointed the ex-England manager until the end of the season

Bristol City's Championship season has been full of twists, and the latest of those has emerged midway through the campaign's final international break.

In recent weeks, it has become evidently clear that Robins supporters are far from content with the current situation at Ashton Gate under the ownership of Steve Lansdown, as they made their feelings known towards the hierarchy in their 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

And, now, it has been confirmed that the defeat against the Baggies, which extended City's recent run to just three Championship wins since the turn of 2026, proved to be the final nail in Gerhard Struber's coffin in BS3, as the Austrian's tenure has now come to an end.

The Robins moved to appoint Struber in June 2025 after the somewhat controversial exit of Liam Manning to divisional rivals, Norwich City, at the beginning of the off-season.

Manning was able to guide the West Country outfit to their first play-off campaign at Championship level since 2008 last term, before they suffered the ignominy of the post-season lottery's heaviest defeat at the semi-final stage, losing 6-0 to Sheffield United across two legs.

Struber, who was sacked by FC Koln in bizarre circumstances last April, then took charge, and whilst there were certainly signs that the club could be on for another top six berth under the ex-Barnsley chief, it has all unravelled in recent weeks.

As such, the higher-ups at Ashton Gate have opted to relieve Struber of his duties and confirm the rather intriguing short-term appointment of ex-Liverpool, Fulham and England boss, Roy Hodgson.

It has also been confirmed exactly why the 78-year-old will begin overseeing matters at the club imminently, over 40 years since he was last in charge in this part of the world.

Bristol City issue 'Premier League' claim after replacing Gerhard Struber with Roy Hodgson

The short-term appointment of Hodgson represents a reunion of sorts between the two parties, as he was in charge between January and April 1982 during a bleak period for the Reds after previously being assistant manager to Bob Houghton.

He begins his second stint with an away trip to Charlton Athletic on Good Friday, over two years since he stepped down from his most recent managerial tenure with Premier League outfit, Crystal Palace.

In a club statement reflecting the sudden managerial change, it was stated that recent performances under Struber hadn't met the board's expectations, before CEO, Charlie Boss, went into greater detail surrounding Hodgson's initial appointment.

“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 will need to be successful going forwards," Boss stated.

“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.

“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," he added.

Bristol City supporters will hope Premier League-themed Roy Hodgson gamble pays off in the long run

It has been a dire start to 2026 in many ways for Bristol City, not helped by an exodus of players in the winter transfer window - most notably the departures of Anis Mehmeti and Zak Vyner to promotion-chasing Ipswich Town and Wrexham respectively.

With that being said, it perhaps isn't the greatest of surprises that a change has been made, although Struber is likely to feel somewhat hard done by all things considered.

However, Boss is correct to acknowledge the experience which Hodgson will provide, having managed over 1,200 games since the 1980s. It is also no real surprise that his broad knowledge of the game will also help City in their search for Struber's permanent successor ahead of what could now be a critical 2026/27 campaign, with pressure very much on the higher-ups from those in the stands.