Watford have named Claudio Ranieri as their new manager after sacking Xisco Munoz on Sunday.
The Italian, 69, returns to the Premier League which he is renowned for winning with Leicester in the 2015-16 season, having departed Serie A side Sampdoria in the summer.
Ranieri’s appointment is the 14th managerial change under Watford’s owners, the Pozzo family, since they assumed control of the Hertfordshire-based side in 2012.
Ranieri has been tasked with improving their league form as they sit 14th after taking seven points from seven games.
Watford’s first match with their new manager at the helm will be at home against unbeaten Liverpool on Saturday, 16 October.
Ranieri has an abundance of experience with Watford being his 21st club in a 35-year managerial career, that began in 1986 at Italian lower league side, Vigor Lamezia. In that time he has won eight trophies, including the 1995-96 Coppa Italia with Fiorentina, 2004-05 Super Cup with Valencia and the 2015-16 Premier League title with Leicester.
He is well known with the English top flight having previously coached Chelsea, Leicester and Fulham.
Ranieri is highly thought of at The King Power Stadium but was sacked with the Foxes just one point above the relegation zone with 13 matches left in the 2016-17 season.
After leaving Leicester he took a season away from England, with French Ligue 1 side Nantes, before returning to the Premier League in 2018 as he was named manager of a struggling Fulham side. He only lasted 17 matches as the Cottagers sacked him with the club staring relegation in the face.
He now returns to the league in the first managerial change in the English top flight during the 2021/22 campaign .
Munoz’s untimely exit came just 10 months after the Spaniard joined Watford and having guided them to automatic promotion from the Championship in the 2020/21 season.
The former Dinamo Tbilisi manager, left his position after the club’s 1-0 defeat by Leeds on Saturday.
Alex Howard Latham Sports Journalism 