Watford’s new manager Paulo Pezzolano makes a promise to fans and reveals his ambitions ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The 42-year-old Uruguayan is aiming to shape the team’s identity and instill relentless intensity during pre-season, and since his appointment, has been meticulously studying the club’s history and player footage.
He has visited the training ground and met players, expressed excitement about working in England, outlined his goals in a team meeting, focused on player testing in the first week, then intensive physical and physical work in the second.
Then highlighted the club’s storied past, including its 1980s and 1990s achievements under Graham Taylor and recent successes under Pozzo, aiming to add to this legacy while also planning to imprint his character on the squad while taking English lessons to better communicate his vision.
His backroom staff also has been confirmed, including Camilo Speranza, Gonzalo Alvarez, Manuel Ramas, and Matías Filippini, pending work permits.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) June 23, 2025
Pre-season is officially underway ✅ pic.twitter.com/UvM9PeUF7q
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) June 23, 2025
CLUB STATEMENT:
Paulo Pezzolano is highly motivated to begin his reign this week and has promised the fans he will spend pre-season shaping the identity of this team and demanding a relentless intensity.
The Uruguayan has spent the period since he was appointed Head Coach forensically poring over footage of the players and researching the history of the club.
The 42-year-old, who arrives with three promotions in three different countries to his name, visited the training ground yesterday for the first time and was at London Colney this morning promptly ahead of a 7.45am report for the returning players.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I can’t wait to get to know all the people at the club, to start working.
“For a passionate football fan who has had the opportunity to play and train in many different countries, England is the birthplace of the game, the place where we want to be. Watford is a club with a very valuable and recognised fan base and that really motivates me. I can’t wait to start.”
Pezzolano laid out his objectives in an 8am team meeting and the next three days will be spent gathering player physical data.
“The first week is all about testing and fine-tuning,” he said. “Week two, we go all in with physical and tactical work.
“From the beginning I want to transmit to the players that we have to be ambitious. They have to give everything on the pitch and understand that we are a team above individuals, an intense team.”
The Hornets have moved swiftly to sign three players already this summer, Hector Kyprianou, Nathan Baxter and Marc Bola, as owner Gino Pozzo bids to “challenge for a return to the Premier League”.
More transfer activity is expected, with Sporting Director Gian Luca Nani “prioritising” the recruitment of “attacking options”.
“We are still working on the arranging of the squad and we are convinced that we will achieve a team that will be up to what this club demands,” said Pezzolano.
“Almost as important as the latter is knowing the identity of the club, its history, its fans. The truth is that it’s absolutely incredible what they achieved in the 80s and then 90s with Graham Taylor.
“It’s football history, but also the achievements of recent years under the ownership of Mr Pozzo have been incredible, too. I think it was six out of seven years in the Premier League, an FA Cup semi-final and the final of the FA Cup.
“Me and my staff want to add to this rich recent history and get back to where the ambitious owner wants the club to be. This is clear.”
At this early stage, Pezzolano is determined to stamp his character and personality on the squad. At the same time, he will be taking a course of intensive English lessons so that, further down the line, he is able to fully explain exactly what he expects and transmit this to the supporters.
“I’d rather let people see what my team is about than talk about it,” Pezzolano added.
Pezzolano’s backroom staff will be Camilo Speranza, Gonzalo Alvarez, Manuel Ramas and Matías Filippini, subject to the receipt of work permits.
This is how Twitter users reacted as Watford’s new manager Paulo Pezzolano makes a promise to fans and reveals his ambitions…
@GD2602: Top man! 🏴 🤝 🇺🇾 roll on the new season! 🐝 half a dozen new signings and a couple strikers. Feels like a new start. This will probably come back to bite me but let’s see!
@Philip90125: Let’s hope that the actions meet the words !!
@watfordfan07: Bring on the season and I hope some of this fanbase wake up and see sense and back this manager.
@Miko80986290: Ahh Pozzo glaze already.. will be just another of his little puppets and gone in December.
@wfcbr: Pozzo Progaganda. Made us a laughing stock and lied to us supporters year on year. Bore off. #PozzoOut
@JMF2693: Decent effort from whichever person in the PR team came up with this. No video footage of him speaking pretty telling with regard to his fluency in English
@Hutchywutch: I grew up in our small mining town in Uruguay, listening to Papa telling stories about Alan Garner’s goal at Aldershot…”
@JordanWiemer: The fact that Pezzolano isn’t fluent in English is going to ruffle some feathers. It is a big factor though. Getting ideas across is one thing, but actually building connections with his players and other staff at the club becomes that much harder. I do think we should try and not to think of this as Walter 2.0 just yet though.. He was pretty much worst case scenario. Let’s allow some time.
@twentyninth: I agree with this, seen some debate this morning on the language barrier but mostly related to post match interviews etc. I’m more concerned about him getting his ideas across, the small nuances, but you’re right, the relationships side of things is key too
@Rikki_Aldridge: I’m sure he’s fine with player dialogue I’m wondering whether they’re just keeping him away from the media whilst he’s not completely comfortable
