News Focus
- Alessio Dionisi will replace Ed Still as Watford head coach ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
- The Italian has agreed a two-year deal with wages of approximately €500,000 per season.
- This marks the 46-year-old’s first managerial position outside his home country.
- Dionisi departed Serie B side Empoli in March 2026 after securing just five wins from 22 matches.
- He follows a long line of Italian coaches at Vicarage Road including Claudio Ranieri and Gianfranco Zola.
Multiple sources confirmed on Wednesday that Watford have secured Alessio Dionisi as their new manager. The Championship club will welcome the Italian to Vicarage Road for the 2026-27 season.
Dionisi will succeed Ed Still in the technical area. The former Sassuolo boss will put pen to paper on a two-year agreement. His yearly salary will be approximately €500,000.
The appointment represents a new chapter for the 46-year-old. He has spent his entire coaching career in Italy until now. Dionisi’s most recent position was with Empoli in the Italian second division. He started the 2025-26 campaign with the Tuscan side but received his marching orders in March. His record showed only five wins from 22 league matches. Empoli eventually finished the season in 15th place.
Dionisi enjoyed greater success during his previous spell at Sassuolo in Serie A. He took charge of the Neroverdi in 2021 following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi. The club achieved respectable mid-table finishes during his first two campaigns in charge. However, officials dismissed him midway through his third season. The team were sitting at the bottom of the table at that time.
Watford have a well-documented history of hiring Italian coaches. Previous bosses include Claudio Ranieri, Walter Mazzarri, Giuseppe Sannino, Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola. Dionisi will hope to emulate some of their achievements as he takes on his first challenge in English football.