Claudio Ranieri has arrived at Watford to complete a shock return to English football. The 69 year old Italian was this morning finalising a 2-Year deal to take over as Watford head coach after they sacked Xisco Munoz. Xisco yesterday became the first Premier League manager to lose his job when he left Watford following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Leeds.
Ranieri, who guided Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2016 and turns 70 later this month, left his role as Sampdoria manager at the end of last season. Watford held positive talks with Ranieri last night and he arrived at the Watford training ground this morning to finalise a deal. The former Chelsea manager is excited by the prospect of working in England again and has a point to prove after his last spell in the Premier League with Fulham ended in disappointment.
Ranieri is seen as an ideal appointment given his vast managerial experience and he recently did an excellent job at Sampdoria. He took charge of the Italian club in October 2019 when they were bottom of Serie A and he guided them to a 15th-placed that season. Last season they finished ninth and Sampdoria wanted Ranieri to sign a new deal, but he was keen to explore other options.
Watford and Xisco parted ways with the Hornets sat 15th in the Premier League with seven points from their opening seven games. In their next eight games Watford will face Liverpool, Everton, Southampton, Arsenal, Manchester United, Leicester, Chelsea and Manchester City.