A new era has begun at Watford with the hiring of Paulo Pezzolano as head coach.
Watford appeared as surprise play-off contenders after a great start to the season, but no team scored fewer points in the second half of the season, and they finished 14th.
| 2024-25 Championship table | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 9 | West Brom | 46 | 10 | 64 |
| 10 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 8 | 64 |
| 11 | Swansea City | 46 | -5 | 61 |
| 12 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | -9 | 58 |
| 13 | Norwich City | 46 | 3 | 57 |
| 14 | Watford | 46 | -8 | 57 |
| 15 | QPR | 46 | -10 | 56 |
| 16 | Portsmouth | 46 | ||
The Hornets wasted no time in reacting to their disappointing season’s end, sacking head coach Tom Cleverley just three days after the final game and replacing him with Pezzolano, who had been out of work since being fired by La Liga side Real Valladolid in November.
It was a brave move by owner Gino Pozzo to fire a popular manager in Cleverley, with many supporters voicing their dissatisfaction with the decision, but it appears that it marked the beginning of the Italian focussing more on events at Victoria Road.
Pozzo is reportedly set to sell Italian side Udinese, which he and his family have owned for the past 39 years, for €150 million (£125 million), and according to the Watford Observer, he will now focus all of his energy on Watford because he believes there is “considerably greater potential for growth and success” with the Hornets.
Gino Pozzo issued a Watford warning following the surprising Udinese sale.
When asked if he believes Pozzo will now make a proper go of things at Vicarage Road following the sale of Udinese, FLW’s Watford fan pundit Justin Beattie insisted that his previous actions demonstrate that he can be trusted, but he warned that if he does not begin to deliver success, he may face increasing pressure from supporters.
“I think the sale of Udinese will be a step in the right direction if Pozzo is going to stick to his work and make a go of it properly, not half-heartedly,” Justin told the press.
“I think we can trust him to make a go of things because he has done it in the past, but if you look at the last couple of seasons, he really has taken his eye off the ball.”
This is most likely his last chance to influence how people feel about him, as there is a growing anti-Pozzo sentiment within the fan base.
“If he gets this wrong, I have a feeling those voices will swell, which might be very uncomfortable for him.
“The fact that he’s sold Udinese is a positive step, but the proof of the pudding is always in the eating, so we will find out next season how successful this step is.”
Paulo Pezzolano may benefit from Gino Pozzo’s significant Udinese decision.
Since 1986, Pozzo and his family have been linked with Udinese, so many people were taken aback by his decision to sell the team. Although he will need to prove his intentions with deeds, it appears that he is prepared to focus entirely on Watford.
Cleverley’s dismissal was never going to be well received by Hornets supporters, but Pozzo has appointed Pezzolano as manager, who has three promotions under his belt in Uruguay, Brazil, and Spain, and who has stated that he expects the team to contend for the Championship title the following season.
Although Watford’s transfer budget won’t immediately benefit from the sale of Udinese, Pozzo will undoubtedly free up additional cash for Pezzolano to bolster his team. Additionally, it will lessen the need to sell top players like Kwadwo Baah, Georgi Chakvetadze, and Imran Louza this summer.
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