In a controversial public statement for Goal, a Real Madrid legend revealed how Roy Hodgson nearly destroyed his pro career.
To most of world football except a Real Madrid legend, Roy Hodgson is one of the most revered English coaches in the world. His long list of clubs throughout a two-decade long career has taken him all over Europe with different outcomes. This globetrotter has coached in Sweden, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, England, and Italy.
During his first spell in Italian football, Hodgson coached Inter Milan between 1995 and 1997. At that time, he coached a novice Roberto Carlos right before he became the football legend he is today. The Brazilian player recently spoke about his experience with the English manager, which is not the most memorable.
While talking to Goal, Roberto Carlos revealed a surprising truth: “Roy Hodgson destroyed me. He made me play in midfield and that wasn’t going to give me the chance to play the 1997 Copa America with Brazil. We didn’t get along at all, he simply knew nothing about football.”
Harsh words dedicated to one of the wisest managers in English football.
Roy Hodgson’s response to Roberto Carlos.
The Crystal Palace boss responded through the Italian Football Podcast: “Well that’s nonsense [about Roberto Carlos being played out of position]. Anybody who watched us play at that time, he no more played left wing than I did. Every game he played for Inter when I was there was at left back.
“What I remember, when I was at Inter, he scored four goals I think in the first six or seven games from free kicks. During the rest of the season he took about 28 free kicks and never scored one! So I don’t know if that was my fault as well.
“But him playing out of position? Unless he wasn’t a left-back, but that’s where I was told he played and what he came to the club as. He was a very attacking left-back, he was much better going forward than he was defending.
“But he was young, I was new to the job. We didn’t have a bad relationship I wouldn’t say per se while we were actually working together. But of course, when he left, all hell broke loose.
“The decision to let him go was a club decision, and it was mainly to do with the fact that the new managing director of Inter, Luigi Predeval, was very anxious to reduce the amount of money that was being spent on transfers and to bring some money back into the club. And Roberto Carlos was one of the players who was sellable. So he got sold.”
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