Roy Hodgson: Failed England manager offered China escape route to join Sven-Goran Eriksson in the Far East
ROY HODGSON has been offered a Chinese special — despite flopping with England.
Sven Goran Eriksson, who managed England for five years from 2001, is already managing Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG. Brazil striker Hulk is expected to make a record £41.5 million move from Zenit St Peterburg tomorrow to work under the Swede.
And Eric Gao, the chief executive officer of iRENA sport which has interests in all 16 Chinese Super League clubs, today admitted that Hodgson could soon be snapped up there too.
Gao, who was in Nice to watch England's Euro 2016 humiliation by minnows Iceland, insisted: "Roy Hodgson has the kind of profile that will fit a Chinese Super League club. Lots of clubs in China want world class football managers. A lot are not in the market here right now so I think there are many chances for Hodgson in China. The clubs there would love to sign him.
"I know a number of clubs who want international investors to be their shareholders as well. They want to change the DNA of football (in China). They want to get worldwide investment, bring the brand, the coach, the football manager and players systematically, not one by one but group by group."
The fee for Hulk could break the Asian transfer record of £38.4m that Jiangsu Suning paid for Hulk's countryman Alex Teixeira.
It comes just weeks after the Chinese Football Association announced plans to become a "world football superpower" by 2050.
Eriksson, who coached at Guangzhou R&F before joining Shanghai in 2013, believes the league's growth will attract more big name players and coaches.