Who is Walter Mazzarri?

Watford have appointed Walter Mazzarri as their new head coach on a three-year deal, but who exactly is he?

Mazzarri, who replaces Quique Sanchez Flores in the Vicarage Road dugout from July 1, becomes the eighth manager to work under the Pozzo family since they completed their takeover of the club in 2012.

Flores enjoyed an impressive season in charge of the Hornets, guiding them to a 13th-place finish in the Premier League, as well as a run to the FA Cup semi-finals.

Mazzarri therefore faces a tough task replacing the popular Spaniard at the club, so what do we know about the 54-year-old?

Playing career

The journeyman midfielder enjoyed a 15-year career with mostly unsung teams in Italy.

After starting his career at Pescara in 1981, he moved onto have underwhelming spells with Cagliari, Reggiana and Fiorentina. 

With his career at a crossroads, Empoli came calling in 1983 and he enjoyed five years there, making 91 appearances for the club. After leaving in 1988, he roamed around the Italian lower leagues playing for Modena, Nola, Viareggio, Acireale and Torres before retiring in 1995.

Managerial career

After working as a scout and a goalkeeping coach at Napoli, Mazzarri landed his first job as a manager with Acireale in 2001.

He failed to settle at one …

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