Paulo Pezzolano was sacked by Watford because he resisted pressure to select players who have a connection to the agent Arnaud Mogi Bayat, it has been claimed, although this has been denied by sources at the Championship club.
Pezzolano and his technical team were dismissed on Wednesday after five months and 10 matches, with Javi Gracia installed for his second spell. It is understood Pezzolano and his staff were surprised and dismayed, having secured successive league victories at Vicarage Road after a slow start to the season.
Sources close to Pezzolano have alleged that his reluctance in his final three weeks to select players linked to Bayat resulted in him becoming the 11th manager Watford have moved on since the start of 2020. The players are understood to include the former France midfielder Moussa Sissoko, who is represented by Bayatâ€s agency, and the Danish forward Luca Kjerrumgaard and Belgian forward Pierre Dwomoh, who joined in the summer in deals brokered by Bayat.
It is understood Pezzolano was never directly told he must select certain players, but sources close to the Uruguayan have told the Guardian that he and his staff were regularly questioned by senior executives, including the sporting director, Gianluca Nani, and his Naniâ€s deputy, Valon Behrami, about why some were not used more.
Sissoko started the first five league games, each as captain, but only one of Pezzolanoâ€s final four matches and was an unused substitute once. Kjerrumgaardâ€s use by the coach was identical. Dwomoh was initially unavailable because of a thigh injury and returned with an hour for the under-21s on 29 September. He did not make the first-team squad for either of the games that have followed.
“Around the club, the different persons who are there would say: ‘Why is this player not playing or this one or the other? He has to play, he is better,â€â€ the source said. “After each match, when Paulo didnâ€t bring on a player they would always say something and it was always a player linked to this agent [Bayat]. I think they decided to sack them for this reason because the recent results had been good.â€
Moussa Sissoko started Watfordâ€s first five league games but only one of the four since. Photograph: Toyin Oshodi/ProSports/Shutterstock
Bayat was the registered intermediary on four of Watfordâ€s transfers last season, including Dwomohâ€s move from Antwerp, according to the Football Associationâ€s records. It is alleged he was seen at the clubâ€s training ground in Hertfordshire on at least three occasions while Pezzolano was in charge. Bayat has strongly denied the claims that he has any influence on team selection at Watford.
“Such involvement from agents is not standard practice within a professional club,†added the source close to Pezzolano. “Paulo consistently demanded higher standards across all areas. His approach was rooted in full commitment and accountability. When he realised that some of the clubâ€s priorities were not purely football-related, he made it clear to the ownership that he could not work under those conditions.â€
Those familiar with the situation at Watford have denied Pezzolano was under pressure to pick any player linked to Bayat or otherwise and insist he was given free rein in team selection and tactics. They say Bayat, who lives in Italy, has visited the training ground twice since April and attended three matches this season.
Bayat has been facing charges in Belgium that include money laundering and fraud, having been arrested in 2018 as part of the Operation Clean Hands investigation that led to 57 administrators, referees and coaches in Belgium being summoned to appear in court. Bayat was released on conditional bail and has denied all the charges, which also include conspiracy and the suspected forging of documents in several transfers, but is yet to stand trial and it is unclear whether the case will come to court.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Football Daily
Kick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of football
Privacy Notice:Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
A Guardian investigation in 2023 revealed that Bayat had connections to Watford that went beyond his transfer dealings, including using a then director of the clubâ€s former holding company, Hornets Investment Ltd, who was also a longtime independent financial adviser to the clubâ€s Italian owner, Gino Pozzo, to establish his business MB Foot UK Ltd.
Watford sources have also suggested that Pezzolano stated in meetings with senior management earlier in the campaign that he had little faith in the squad and did not believe promotion was realistic – something denied by his camp. It is also claimed some players were unconvinced by his ability to get the best out of a squad many at the club believe is the strongest since they were relegated in 2022.
“We wish Paulo the very best in his career and thank him for his efforts. We are extremely comfortable with the decision we have taken and the appointment of Javi Gracia,†said a Watford spokesperson. “Javi brings stability to the club, is an excellent communicator and has made an immediate connection with the players in his desire for unity, harmony and mutual respect. We fully expect the squad to respond positively to those qualities.â€
The source close to Pezzolanoâ€s camp said: “In any squad of 30 players, there will always be some who are unhappy with limited playing time – that is part of football. However, the core group responsible for the teamâ€s recent performances was united, motivated, and increasingly optimistic. After his dismissal, Paulo received numerous messages from players thanking him and his staff for their work and dedication.â€
They have also claimed that the high-pressure environment at Watford, who have had 22 managers since the Pozzo family bought the club in the summer of 2012, made it difficult to fulfil their ambitions. “Everyone is under a lot of pressure to get results and itâ€s not a happy place to work,†said the source. “Itâ€s hard to achieve the goal of promotion because it is very difficult to implement your ideas with so much interference from outside.â€
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.