Claudio Ranieri has been officially announced as the new Watford manager.
The 69-year-old has taken charge at Vicarage Road, replacing Xisco Munoz who was sacked on Sunday just seven games into the new Premier League season.
Ranieri returns to the Premier League, having previously managed Chelsea, Fulham and Leicester City, where he led the Foxes to the most improbable of titles in the 2015/16 campaign.
That success remains the crowning glory of his storied managerial career, having also held jobs in Italy, France and Spain, as well as the Greece national team.
His latest job was at Serie A club Sampdoria, where he signed a two-year contract and guided the club to 15th and then ninth in the table before leaving in the summer when his deal expired.
Ranieri is the Hornets’ 15th permanent manager over the last decade, and the 13th since owners the Pozzo family took control in 2012.
The popular coach has signed a two-year contract with Watford, in his first job in English football in two years.
A statement from the Hornets read: “Watford FC is delighted to confirm the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as the club’s new Head Coach, on a two-year contract.
The Italian arrives at Vicarage Road boasting a wealth of experience in charge of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Premier League, Coppa Italia and Copa del Rey titles among his managerial highlights…”
Ranieri’s last spell in England was a tough period in charge at Fulham in 2019, where he won just three of his 17 matches at Craven Cottage before being replaced in the hotseat by his assistant, Scott Parker.
But the Italian has been selected as the right man by Watford’s ruthless owners, with the experienced coach tasked with leading the club’s recovery after a poor start to the campaign – having won just two of their opening seven matches.
Former Spain international Munoz had only been in charge at Vicarage Road for ten months, and successfully led the club back to the Premier League, but just two wins from their opening seven games of the new season saw the club’s ruthless owners wield the axe once again.
And Ranieri faces a tough start, too, with the Hornets set to face Liverpool, Everton, Southampton, Arsenal, Manchester United, Leicester in their next six games.
This is a breaking news story. More updates will follow shortly.
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