The Cottagers have exceeded all expectations in their run to the Europa League final, but the well-respected gaffer has been in the game too long to kick back and have a good time – as he reveals in an exclusive interview for an official UEFA online magazine created by the folks behind FourFourTwo.
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"The idea of enjoying matches goes out of the window when you sign your first professional contract," insists Hodgson, who has been a manager since 1976. "After that the only enjoyment you can get is doing your job well – that means winning."
Hodgson acknowledges that victory won't come easily against Atletico Madrid – "a really top team" who eliminated Liverpool in the semi-finals – but insists that reputations count for nothing in finals.
"Luckily, the match isn’t going to be decided on who has the most previous experience in Europe or the most famous players," he says. "It’ll be won by the team who play the best football on the night."
See the Hamburg Final Online Magazine for full exclusive interviews with Hodgson, Brede Hangeland, Quique Sanchez Flores, Andy Roxburgh and others, plus much much more. More details here
