Watford Welcomes Ex-Valladolid Manager Paulo Pezzolano as New Head Coach

Championship side Watford has announced the appointment of former Real Valladolid manager Paulo Pezzolano as their new head coach on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old Uruguayan takes over from Tom Cleverley, who was dismissed following Watford’s underwhelming 14th-place finish in the English second division.

Pezzolano becomes the club’s 18th permanent manager since Gianfranco Zola departed in December 2013.

He began his coaching career at Uruguay’s Torque City and held roles at various clubs across Mexico and Brazil before assuming the role at the Spanish team Valladolid in 2023.

Under his leadership, Valladolid secured promotion to La Liga in 2024; however, he was relieved of his duties in November as the club faced difficulties at the bottom of the league table.

“Paulo has an impressive history of working with young talent, which is crucial given the age dynamics of our squad,” remarked Watford’s sporting director Gian Luca Nani.

“We are confident that Paulo is the right leader as we realign our focus for the upcoming season. He is acutely aware of our ambitions and commitment to pushing for promotion, and he is ready to embrace that challenge.

“The club has enjoyed considerable success with similar appointments in the past, including Slavisa Jokanovic, Javi Gracia, and Xisco Munoz.”