The Hornets have become the first club in the English top-flight to change their dugout this season, with a problematic start leaving them on seven points from as many games.
Ranieri has been out of work since leaving Sampdoria
Claudio Ranieri is back for a fourth spell in Premier League management, with the 69-year-old Italian being appointed as Xisco Munoz’s successor at Watford. The Hornets have become the first club in the English top-flight to change their dugout this season, with a problematic start leaving them on seven points from as many games. Vast experience is being turned to, with Ranieri bringing title-winning know-how to Vicarage Road. Ranieri has been out of work since leaving Serie A side Sampdoria at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. Watford have brought the Italian on board as memories remain fresh in England of the stunning title triumph he oversaw at Leicester in 2015-16. He had previously coached for the best part of four seasons at Chelsea between September 2000 and May 2004, with Roman Abramovich arriving in west London during his reign.
The Hornets will always be grateful to Xisco
A brief spell was also spent with Fulham between November 2018 and February 2019, but with only three wins collected from 17 games during that tenure. The Hornets opened the 2021-22 campaign with a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa, as they looked to settle quickly in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship. They also put three past Norwich on September 18, but that remains their last success, and a 1-0 defeat was suffered away at Leeds last time out. With the club also slipping out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of second-tier Stoke, the decision was made to part with Xisco. A statement on the club’s official website read: “Watford FC confirms Xisco Munoz has left his post as the club’s head coach. The board feels recent performances strongly indicate a negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving.
“The Hornets will always be grateful to Xisco for the part he played in securing last season’s promotion and wish him well for his future career in football.”