The Hornets Dismiss Their Manager Following 10 Games and Reappoint Former Boss as Head Coach
Watford Football Club have made the move to end their manager's contract after just five months and 10 games in control, confirming the reappointment of former boss Javi Gracia as his successor.
Reports suggest that Pezzolano, appointed in the spring to replace the interim manager, along with his technical staff, were told not to lead training on midweek as speculation about his exit grew on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old was summoned for a meeting where he became the 11th manager Watford have moved on since the beginning of the year 2020.
"We are very pleased to welcome back Gracia," said Watford's chairman and CEO. "His passion, guidance and clear strategy will foster consistency, togetherness and momentum.
"We believe many fans who wished Javi had stayed on in 2019. With this young and exciting squad, we are convinced his know-how and qualities are precisely what we need at this moment."
The returning manager guided the team to the FA Cup showpiece for the only other occasion in their history in 2019, but was sacked a few matches into the following campaign and most recently coached at Leeds United in 2023.
"For me, the feeling I have in this moment is that I'm returning to a familiar place. It was the most enjoyable time of my professional life," Gracia stated. "There are fond memories and we have unfinished business here. For us, it's a further important step in our career.
"This is something special for us, and at the same time we are very ambitious for this campaign. If we are together, we are stronger."
Pezzolano's sacking arrives despite their win against Oxford United at Vicarage Road on the weekend, which lifted them to eleventh place in the Championship after a difficult opening that earned five points from the first six games.
Pezzolano is said to have left disappointed by the decision to sack him, having led Watford to a three-match unbeaten run that also included a home win over Hull and a draw at Fratton Park, leaving them within touching distance off the playoff places.
The coach joined soon after the end of last season with a strong record of guiding clubs to promotion in Spain, Brazil and Uruguay.
