Former England national coach Roy Hodgson "has been offered an immediate escape from his England nightmare with top clubs in China all vying for his signature," according to Sam Cunningham of the London DAILY MAIL. Hodgson is "out of work after resigning from managing the national team following a disastrous exit from Euro 2016 at the first knockout round by minnows Iceland." Chinese Super League sides "are desperate to attract big name managers and players as they emerge as a football superpower." The CSL's biggest sides, including teams such as Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Shenhua and Hebei China Fortune, "are all keen on offering the 68-year-old a highly-lucrative route straight back into the game, despite presiding over the worst England defeat in 66 years." Eric Gao, CEO of China's largest sports agency iRENA, which has contracts with several of CSL's top clubs, revealed "many of them are interested in signing Hodgson." Gao said, "Lots of clubs want a world class football manager. I heard a lot are not for sale here right now. But there are many chances (for Hodgson), they would love to sign him." Hodgson, Gao further explained, "is the ideal manager CSL clubs are looking to recruit to boost investment in the Chinese game." Former England Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, now at Shanghai SIPG, and ex-Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, currently in charge of Guangzhou Evergrande, "have both been persuaded to move there." Gao: "Hodgson has the kind of profile that will fit a Chinese Super League club" (DAILY MAIL, 6/28). REUTERS' Neil Robinson wrote there "appears no obvious successor to Hodgson." The search will be conducted by FA Technical Dir Dan Ashworth alongside CEO Martin Glenn and Head of Performance Services Dave Reddin. England U21 coach Gareth Southgate, who recently oversaw a victory in last month's Toulon tournament, "is the early bookmakers' favourite." But the 57-capped former England center-half is "far from a shoo-in" and was immediately knocked down by former Tottenham Manager Harry Redknapp. Redknapp denied that Southgate's familiarity with the FA and the "English system" was an advantage. Redknapp: "Knows what system? The losing system? He knows the losing formula? I like Gareth Southgate, he's a great lad, but what's he done?" (REUTERS, 6/28).
