Portsmouth Championship rivals Bristol City sack head coach Gerhard Struber and replace him with former England boss Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson has been named Bristol City’s interim manager following the Robins’ decision to sack Gerhard Struber
Pompey Championship rivals Bristol City have parted company with head coach Gerhard Struber - and replaced him with former England and Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson until the end of the season.
The Robins took the decision to call time on the Austrian’s time at Ashton Gate on Friday following a run of six games without a win - form which includes a defeat to League One’s bottom-place side, Port Vale, in the FA Cup.
City have also won just once in eight Championship games under Struber, who was appointed as Liam Manning’s successor in the summer. They sit 16th in the table and 12 points above the relegation zone ahead of their next game at Charlton on April 3.
Confirming the news, club chief executive officer Charlie Boss said: ‘I would like to thank Gerhard and Bernd (Eibler, assistant head coach) 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 will need to be successful going forwards.
‘Roy is a vastly experienced coach who has achieved and won at the highest level. He will support me, our players and our football staff as we build towards achieving our potential.
‘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.’
Struber, who was interviewed for the Pompey manager’s job following the sacking of Danny Cowley in January 2023 but missed out to John Mousinho, was just nine months into a three-year contract at Ashton Gate.
Playing a crucial role in convincing former Blues loanee Rob Atkinson to remain at the club, his remit was to improve on last season’s impressive sixth-place finish and steer the club to the Premier League for the first time,
However, after City topped the Championship table on day one of the season following a 4-1 win at Sheffield United, they haven’t occupied a top-six position in the table since December.
The Robins have also won just three times in the league since hammering Pompey 5-0 at Ashton Gate on New Year’s Day.
Hodgson, 78, returns to management having left Palace in 2024.
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