Watford FC have officially unveiled Italian manager Walter Mazzarri as their replacement for Quique Sanchez Flores.
Mazzarri has signed a three-year deal with the Hertfordshire club, who finished 13th in the Premier League table, and will start work on July 1.
The 54-year-old can name Napoli – who he won the Coppa Italia with back in 2012 – and European giants Inter Milan on his managerial CV, but Watford will be his first job outside of Italy. He was sacked from the San Siro club in November of 2014 and has been out of work since.
The Vicarage Road club made the announcement on their Twitter page.
OFFICIAL: Walter Mazzarri has signed a three-year contract to become #watfordfc Head Coach from 1st July 2016. pic.twitter.com/8bdQotvFHA
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 21, 2016
Watford’s chief executive Scott Duxbury told the club’s official website: “Walter has been the target of a number of approaches for his services, so we’re delighted to secure him as head coach here at Watford.
“We’re thoroughly looking forward to working with such a highly regarded coach, with the progress and development of the club always remaining the highest priority.”
Although Watford’s form tailed off in the second half of the campaign, they were seen to have a perfectly acceptable first season back in the Premier League. And after he guided them to the semi-final of the FA cup, many were surprised to see Flores given his marching orders.
Still, Hornets fans will be excited to see their club land another big-name coach who will look to push them even further up the table next season.