Who is Watford's new manager Paulo Pezzolano? | OneFootball

Watford have announced the appointment of Paulo Pezzolano as their new head coach, following the dismissal of Tom Cleverley.

The 42-year-old manager takes over the helm as the club aims to secure promotion back to the Premier League.

The Uruguayan arrives with coaching experience across four countries and a solid reputation for winning promotion - with three successful campaigns to his name. But who exactly is Pezzolano, and what’s brought him to Vicarage Road?

Pezzolano kicked off his managerial career in familiar surroundings at Montevideo City Torque, a club he knew well from his playing days. In 2017, he guided them to promotion from Uruguay’s second tier - an early taste of success that marked him out as a coach on the rise.

After making his mark with an attacking style at Liverpool Montevideo - culminating in a domestic cup win in 2018 - Paulo Pezzolano moved abroad to manage Mexican side Pachuca, where a promising start that included a semi-final run in Liga MX eventually gave way to inconsistency, leading to his departure in 2021.

Early 2022 saw Pezzolano take on one of Brazil’s sleeping giants - Cruzeiro - a club in the second tier and freshly acquired by Ronaldo Nazário. Pezzolano didn’t waste time making an impact.

He led Cruzeiro to promotion in his first season and clinched the Série B title. It was a huge achievement considering the pressure and expectation that came with the job. But after an early cup exit the following year, he decided to move on.

From there, it was off to Spain, joining Real Valladolid - also under Ronaldo’s ownership. Pezzolano inherited a side in trouble, and while they were relegated at the end of the 2022–23 season, he stayed on and brought them straight back up to LaLiga the next year.

Unfortunately, things unravelled quickly after promotion, and a thumping 5-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid proved to be the end of the road in late 2024.

Now it’s over to Pezzolano to work his magic in the Championship. Watford fans will be hoping his knack for promotions can spark a fresh start and bring some much-needed consistency to the club. If he can get the team playing with confidence and belief, the Hornets might finally have the right man to take them back where they want to be - the Premier League.