Roy Hodgson won't quit England post

ByESPN staff ESPN logo
Sunday, June 22, 2014

Roy Hodgson has said he will not resign as England manager, despite the country standing on the brink of a first group-stage exit from a World Cup in 56 years.

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England's 2-1 defeat to a Luis Suarez-inspired Uruguay in Sao Paulo on Thursday, combined with their opening Group D defeat to Italy by the same scoreline, is likely to mean they fail to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since 1958.

Hodgson said: "I don't have any intention to resign. I've been really happy with the way the players have responded to the work we've tried to do.

"I'm bitterly disappointed, of course, but I don't feel I need to resign. On the other hand, if the FA think I'm not the right man to do the job that will be their decision, not mine."

The FA has not made any statement about Hodgson's future since the Uruguay defeat and is unlikely to do so before England's World Cup campaign is officially over. England are not yet mathematically out of the tournament but have to rely on other results going their way.

"Our chances of going through are unbelievably slim," Hodgson said. "We depend on Italy winning their next two matches and us beating Costa Rica by the requisite number of goals. To continue, we needed a result against Uruguay. We needed a victory and we didn't get it."

Italy have to win their remaining matches -- against Costa Rica on Friday and Uruguay on Tuesday -- for England to have a chance of qualifying. Even then, Hodgson's team would have to win the final group game to stand any chance.

"I'm really bitterly disappointed. We came with such high hopes and have not been able to deliver. It is a major sadness for me," Hodgson said. "I'm numb really -- numb with disappointment and sadness that so many hopes and dreams and so much work has been blown away. 

"The hope is small. Had we drawn the game I would even have been tempted to say to you the chances were good. Now we need Italy to win both their games, and that is not guaranteed."

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