Watford have turned to Italian manager Alessio Dionisi in their latest attempt to find stability at Vicarage Road, with the 46-year-old signing a two-year contract to become the club’s new head coach.
Dionisi takes over after the firing of Ed Still, who lasted less than three months before being relieved of his duties in early May. It’s hardly surprising considering that there have been 24 different managers under club owner Gino Pozzo since he took ownership of the Hornets in December 2014.
The Hornets endured a difficult campaign, finishing 16th in the Championship and a long way from the play-off positions, and the quest for a long-term appointment has now ended with an experienced league winner.
The numbers underscore why fans crave consistency. Dionisi is the 12th permanent head coach since the end of the 2020-21 season and the 24th appointment under the Pozzo family’s ownership, which began in 2012. He also becomes the first Italian to take charge of Watford since Claudio Ranieri briefly took over during the club’s last campaign. Premier League 2021-22 campaign.
A constant rise through the Italian leagues
A centre-back in his playing days, Dionisi moved into coaching in 2014 and built his reputation by climbing the pyramid rather than taking a shortcut. He guided Serie D side Imolese to a runner-up finish in 2018, then took them to third in Serie C the following season before a play-off defeat.
This progress earned him a move to Venezia in Serie B, where he achieved the club’s second-tier status before joining Empoli. It was there that he achieved the highlight of his career so far, managing Empoli in the 2020-21 season. Series B title and promotion to the highest category. Remarkably, his team went the entire season unbeaten at home, losing just three games in total.
Great nights in Serie A
Success with Empoli saw Sassuolo hand Dionisi the job vacated by Roberto De Zerbi, and he spent two and a half seasons testing himself against Italy’s elite in Series A. The 2021-22 season grabbed the headlines as his side completed a memorable double in Milan, beating AC Milan 3-1 and Internazionale 2-0 at the San Siro.
Wins over Juventus and Roma also feature on their record, along with a run to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. Most recently, he reached the Serie B play-offs with Palermo in 2024-25 before returning for a second spell at Empoli, underlining a career developed almost entirely in Italy.
Familiar faces behind
Dionysus will not arrive alone. Luca Vigiani, who previously worked at Watford under Walter Mazzarri in 2016-17, returns to the club as an analyst, while Fabio Spighi joins as head of physical performance.
Sporting director Gianluca Nani said the club had been tracking Dionisi for a long time and wanted a manager with a proven track record of winning leagues and gaining promotion. Nani added that he believed the new manager had the credentials to get the best out of the current squad and any summer additions.
The appointment continues an intense stage of managerial movement throughout Italian football, which will arrive shortly after Rúben Amorim was appointed coach of AC Milan. For Watford, the hope is that Dionisi’s combination of promotion know-how and Serie A experience can finally bring the calm that has eluded Vicarage Road in recent years.
