• England

NFL games at Wembley anger Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson has hit out over the Wembley pitch being used for NFL games.

For the third time this year, Wembley will host an American football game this Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars play the Dallas Cowboys.

But Hodgson feels the match could ruin the grass just six days before England play Slovenia in their Euro 2016 qualifier.

The Detroit Lions faced the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley last month © Getty Images

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After regular complaints by Hodgson's predecessor Fabio Capello, the FA laid a new £250,000 Desso pitch four years ago, and since then the surface has played relatively well.

Hodgson has noticed a deterioration recently though, and he thinks the pitch will not get any better with NFL players using it next weekend.

"I can't pretend that is something that makes me leap for joy," Hodgson said. "If I was asked if it was a good thing or not, I would have to say not.

"I don't really think you could expect me to say 'excellent, delighted, well done'. The pitch, unfortunately, is not in the best of nick anyway, which we're all a bit unhappy with."

Hodgson said ground staff will have to "work their socks off" to ensure the grass is in optimum condition by the time England kick-off against Slovenia.

He also hopes Club England managing director Adrian Bevington will report to the FA board, who sanctioned the NFL's partnership with Wembley, and "find a good solution" that would prevent England from playing on an uneven surface because of the NFL games in the future.

But unfortunately for Hodgson, this is something he will have to get used to. Wembley and the NFL announced on Thursday there would be another three games at Wembley next year, one of which will take place on October 4 - just five days before England host Estonia in their last home qualifier.

Wembley will also host two Rugby World Cup games in September, and Hodgson is aware of the financial rewards on offer for the FA as they continue to pay back the cost of rebuilding the stadium.

"It is at a Club England level and Adrian Bevington and I pragmatically accept we have had these matches," Hodgson added. "It is a decision Wembley has made and I know the ground staff will work very, very hard to give us the best pitch they can give us.

"Hopefully in the future the pitch will recover to its normal level and when it has done that we will be better able to support this type of activity."

The FA has intimated in the past that it could be open to hosting an NFL franchise at Wembley after 2018. That may open the door for England to play their home matches away from Wembley in the build up to Euro 2020, as they did when the stadium was being rebuilt from 2001 to 2007.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd