Sporting Director Giaretta leaves Watford after two years
Giaretta joined Watford from CSKA Sofia in August 2020
Written by Simon Austin — September 16, 2022
WATFORD Sporting Director Cristiano Giaretta has left the Championship club after two years.
The Italian joined the Hornets in August 2020 from Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, where he had worked since February 2019. He knew Watford owners the Pozzo from his three-year spell as Sporting Director of their other club, Udinese.
Watford’s previous Sporting Director, Frenchman Eric Roy, departed after only eight months to make way for the Italian. Filippo Giraldi, who had the title of Technical Director, exited in November 2020 after more than eight years with the club.
During his time in Italy, Giaretta played a key role in the development of Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes. When he was Sporting Director of Serie B side Novara he signed the then 17-year-old from Portuguese club Boavista in 2012.
In a later interview, he remembered the teenager arriving as a “skinny guy with baggy jeans” and asking his Academy Manager “if this player was truly the one”. When Giaretta joined Udinese in July 2013, he took the midfielder with him to Serie A.
Watford are 10th in the Championship after nine games and lost 2-0 at Blackburn on Tuesday night.
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