The Hornets Dismiss Their Manager Following 10 Games and Reappoint Former Boss as Head Coach
Watford Football Club have taken the move to terminate Paulo Pezzolano's contract after just a brief period and 10 games in charge, announcing the reappointment of ex-manager Javi Gracia as his replacement.
Reports suggest that Pezzolano, appointed in May to replace Tom Cleverley, along with his technical staff, were instructed not to lead practice on Wednesday as rumors about his exit grew on the previous day.
Pezzolano was called to a meeting where he was named the 11th manager the club have moved on since the start of 2020.
"The club is very pleased to welcome back Javi," said the club's chief executive. "His enthusiasm, guidance and well-defined plan will help us build consistency, togetherness and momentum.
"We are sure many fans who hoped Javi had stayed on in the past. With this young and exciting team, we are convinced his know-how and attributes are exactly what we need now."
The returning manager guided Watford to the FA Cup final for the only other occasion in the club's history in 2019, but was sacked a few matches into the next season and most recently coached at Leeds in last year.
"For me, the emotion I have in this moment is that I'm going back home. It was the most enjoyable period of my career," he stated. "I have fond recollections and we have loose ends at Watford. For us, it's a further significant move in our journey.
"It is something special for us, and simultaneously we are very ambitious for this season. If we are united, we are stronger."
The decision to remove Pezzolano comes even after the team's win against Oxford at Vicarage Road on the weekend, which moved them to 11th in the Championship after a slow start that earned five points from the initial six matches.
Pezzolano is said to have left dismayed by the call to let him go, having guided Watford to a undefeated streak of three games that featured a victory at home over Hull City and a draw at Portsmouth, leaving them within touching distance off the playoff places.
Pezzolano arrived soon after the end of the previous campaign with a strong record of leading clubs to advancement in Spain, South America and Uruguay.
