I’ve been away, now I’m back. What the hell has been going on in my beloved corner of Hertfordshire? Sean Dyche sacked, Bassini gone, the Pozzo family have bought the club, and Zola appointed as manager.
Here’s my take on it (for Football 365).
Football fans across Europe are familiar with Giampaulo Pozzo’s most successful project, the rise of Udinese Calcio, who defied the odds to finish third in Serie A last season. He also owns Granada in Spain, and has overseen their progress from the third division to survival in La Liga last season. And now, the Pozzo show is coming to England, with Giampaulo’s son, Gino, taking on day-to-day responsibility for managing their latest acquisition, Watford.
On the face of it, it’s a shrewd purchase. If you’re an Italian looking to buy a football club in England, you might as well buy one with good access to Heathrow and Stanstead – no need to stick around this cursed rock any longer than is absolutely necessary. True, they could have chosen many better supported Championship clubs with better stadiums, but there’s something about the M25 commuter belt that captures your heart. Once there, it never leaves you. But, romance isn’t all Watford has to offer, there are some more practical reasons that probably helped to seal the deal.
The price: Watford can’t have cost much. The previous owner, Laurence Bassini, will have made sure he got a profit from the sale, but he wasn’t in a strong position to negotiate a high price. This is a club that runs at a loss and plays in a three sided ground…
Read the article in full here.
