FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - May 23, 2021 Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson and Wilfried Zaha Pool via REUTERS/Phil Noble
(Reuters) -Crystal Palace have reappointed Roy Hodgson as manager until the end of the season, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
The 75-year-old succeeds Frenchman Patrick Vieira, who was sacked last week after a poor run of form left the team three points above the relegation zone.
Palace are the only side in the league without a win in 2023, having drawn five and lost seven of their games. Their last league victory came on Dec. 31, 2-0 at Bournemouth, and they are 12th on 27 points with 10 games to play.
Hodgson has been brought in to keep Palace in the top flight, a task he achieved for four seasons in a row with the London club between 2017-2021.
"It is a privilege to be asked to return to the club, which has always meant so much to me," Hodgson said in a statement. "Our sole objective now is to start winning matches, and to get the points necessary to ensure our Premier League status.
"Crystal Palace is known for its fighting spirit, and I have no doubt that all our supporters will fight with us."
Hodgson's coaching career began in 1976 in Sweden and he went on to manage the likes of Inter Milan, Malmo, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham, the Swiss national team and England.
Hodgson took England to Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup finals but left after they were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland.
His first match back in the dugout will come in a home game against Leicester City on April 1 after the international break.
Palace said former club captain and current Under-21s coach Paddy McCarthy, who took charge of the side for their 4-1 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, will be Hodgson's assistant.
Hodgson's long-term assistant Ray Lewington will return to the club as first-team coach.
"We are obviously in a very challenging period but we believe that Roy's and Ray's experience, knowledge of the club and players, alongside Paddy can help fulfil the immediate requirement of keeping us in the league," Palace Chairman Steve Parish said.
Hodgson came out of retirement in the 2021-22 season to take charge of relegation-threatened Watford on a short-term deal but failed to lead them to safety.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Peter Rutherford)
