Roy Hodgson not a fan of Blackburn – Says he struggled to settle whilst at Rovers

Roy Hodgson says he struggled to settle while he was at Blackburn Rovers, with it being a culture shock from what he’d grown used to.

The 78-year-old has spoken to L’Equipe about his coaching career and was asked about his time at Blackburn Rovers.

Hodgson started his coaching career in Sweden with Halmstads BK in 1976. He hasn’t returned to management since leaving Crystal Palace in February 2024.

He managed multiple clubs across Europe for more than four decades, and was also in charge of England between 2012 and 2016.

Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League during the 1994/95 season. They finished seventh and 13th respectively the next two seasons. Rovers parted ways with Tony Parkes and appointed Hodgson as his successor in July 1997. The latter arrived at Ewood Park after spending five years in Switzerland and two at Inter Milan.

It was Hodgson to returning home for the first time since the short stint at Bristol City in 1982. L’Equipe were curious to know whether football in England and in particularly at Blackburn Rovers was different from what he had experienced before.

Responding to that, he said: “Not at all. Blackburn had been champions in 1995. It had been a shock, a surprise victory. When I arrived, the team had changed, and it was a different story: they had narrowly avoided relegation the season before.

“There weren’t high expectations. And besides, I had a great team, a pleasure to work with. The hardest thing, after living in Switzerland and Milan, was adjusting to life there. It’s the north of England. I don’t know if you’re familiar with it, but if you want to visit the country, you really don’t need to put this town at the top of your list.”

Hodgson was in charge of Blackburn Rovers until November 1998. He won 22 and lost 25 of the 62 matches with Rovers.