Slavia Prague coach Jindrich Trpisovsky is delighted to be mentioned as a potential replacement for Roy Hodgson at Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace.
Saturday’s 4-1 hammering at arch rivals Brighton and Hove Albion certainly had an end of days sort of feel about it. And while the jubilant home support were wrong about one thing – Roy Hodgson would not, as they suggested, be ‘sacked in the morning’ – the former England boss appears to be hanging by an ever-fraying thread.
HITC Football understands that Palace co-owner Steve Parish is now considering what many Eagles supporters would deem a long-overdue change in the dugout. Steve Cooper, who has been admired by the Selhurst Park outfit since his Swansea City days, is the firm favourite to take Hodgson’s job after being fired by Nottingham Forest in December.
Roy Hodgson facing Crystal Palace sack
According to reports, Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick and Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna are also under consideration, alongside the out-of-work duo Julen Lopetegui and Bo Svensson.
47-year-old Jindrich Trpisovsky has been mentioned in some quarters too, though the former goalkeeper certainly feels like a left-field, high-risk appointment for a club in Palace’s relegation-threatened predicament.
“Although Crystal Palace will certainly not consider anyone from the Czech Republic, it is a great honor for me and for all of Slavia (to be linked),” Trpisovky, who is obviously not too confident about his chances, tells Idnes and Sport.
“It shows we are doing well when my name appears next to Arne Slot from Feyenoord or the American (Jesse) Marsch, who managed Leipzig or Leeds.
“I really appreciate (the Palace links).”
Eagles eyeing Steve Cooper
Trpisovsky, appointed by Slavia Prague back in 2017, is the longest-serving coach in the Czech top flight, a division he has won three times. His Slavia side also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2021, knocked out by Arsenal after sending both Rangers and Leicester City packing.
Interestingly, Trpisovsky’s side trained at Crystal Palace before taking on Chelsea back in 2019, with their head coach full of praise for a historic, ‘old school club’.
“Did you know that we trained at Crystal Palace before the game at Chelsea?,” he adds. “I like these traditional old school clubs. But I don’t know if they would consider hiring a Czech coach.
“From my point of view, (the Premier League) is a utopia.”
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