Watford Dismiss Paulo Pezzolano After 10 Games and Bring Back Former Boss as Manager

The Championship side have made the move to terminate their manager's contract after only a brief period and 10 games in charge, confirming the return of ex-manager Javi Gracia as his successor.

It is understood that Pezzolano, appointed in the spring to replace Tom Cleverley, along with his backroom team, were instructed not to take practice on midweek as rumors about his imminent departure mounted on Tuesday.

Pezzolano was summoned for a meeting where he was named the 11th head coach Watford have let go since the beginning of the year 2020.

"The club is very pleased to welcome back Gracia," said the club's chief executive. "His passion, guidance and well-defined plan will help us build stability, togetherness and momentum.

"We believe there are many supporters who wished Gracia had never departed in 2019. With this talented team, we are certain his know-how and attributes are exactly what we need now."

The returning manager guided Watford to the FA Cup final for the only other occasion in the club's history in that year, but was sacked a few matches into the next season and most recently coached at Leeds in last year.

"Personally, the emotion I have right now is that I'm going back to a familiar place. It was the most enjoyable time of my professional life," Gracia stated. "There are fond recollections and we have loose ends at Watford. For us, it's another important step in our career.

"This is something special for us, and simultaneously we are highly motivated for this season. If we are united, we are stronger."

The decision to remove Pezzolano arrives even after their victory against Oxford United at Vicarage Road on Saturday, which moved them to 11th in the second tier after a slow start that yielded a handful of points from the first six games.

Pezzolano is said to have left disappointed by the decision to let him go, having guided Watford to a three-match unbeaten run that featured a home win over Hull and a tie at Fratton Park, placing them three points off the playoff places.

The coach joined shortly after the end of the previous campaign with a proven track record of guiding teams to promotion in Spain, Brazil and his home country.