Watford have hired Alessio Dionisi as their new head coach - and it's not unfair to say not many supporters will know anything about the new man.
The 46-year-old has a promotion on his CV, guiding Empoli to the Serie B title in 2021, and also did well at Sassuolo, where he replaced Roberto De Zerbi and secured two solid mid-table finishes.
He has had less success recently, though, as he fell short of expectations at Palermo - only taking them to eighth in Serie B in 2024/25 - before a doomed return to Empoli.
To get a flavour of his success and failures, The Watford Observer enlisted Sassuolo News journalists Antonio Parrotto and Nicolo Caruso, as well as Tutto Palermo reporter Rosario Carraffa, deliver their verdict having followed his career so closely.
Antonio Parrotto/Nicolo Caruso - Sassuolo
What is your opinion of Dionisi as a manager?
"I think Dionisi is a very good manager. In his first two years at Sassuolo, he did a very good job.
"He made Serie A history by winning away against Juventus, Inter and Milan in the same year, a feat no manager had managed since the 1960s and he was only the fourth to achieve it.
"He achieved great things, but in his final season with Sassuolo - which coincided with his sacking - he was unlucky because he faced a difficult campaign where many things went wrong, starting with the injury to Berardi, a key player."
What is his preferred style of play?
"At Sassuolo, he was good at adapting to the work done by the previous manager, Roberto De Zerbi.
"He started with the 4-2-3-1 formation that De Zerbi himself had set up, with a very attacking team that conceded a lot of goals but also scored a lot of goals. He prefers a purposeful game.
"In his first year, he had a very strong team – for some, the strongest Sassuolo have ever had – and perhaps he could have achieved more than 11th place.
"However, he is a manager who knows how to adapt to the players at his disposal and favours an attacking style of play."
He was brought in at Sassuolo to replace Roberto De Zerbi: are there any similarities between the two?
"No, honestly, there aren’t any major similarities with Roberto De Zerbi; in my view, they are two managers with different philosophies and even opposite personalities.
"Dionisi and De Zerbi are two completely different technicians. De Zerbi has a strong personality, he is of the highest quality.
"Dionisi is a version that tries to get close but at the same time is less aesthetic than De Zerbi."
Why has he been less successful in his most recent roles?
"After being sacked at Sassuolo, he had offers to stay in Serie A but preferred to take on the challenge at a major club like Palermo, hoping to get them back into Serie A thanks to a big budget (the club is part of the Manchester City group), but he didn’t get past the play-offs.
"He couldn’t cope with the pressure from the fans, with whom he didn’t click; there was no rapport.
"At Empoli, he took over in a difficult situation, with a relegated team that wanted to return to Serie A but had been weakened, and he failed to make an impact."
How important will it be to align the recruitment with his style?
"I think it's very important, as it is for any manager, although I consider him a manager who works within the club's framework, in the sense that he’s good at working with the players the club makes available to him.
What is Dionisi like as a person?
"A lovely person. He managed to build a good relationship with us in the press at Sassuolo.
"Personally, I can say I developed a good rapport with him; he’s a gentle and sociable person."
The last manager (Ed Still) described a Watford dressing room lacking in cohesion and basic standards. Do you think he can inspire the team?
"With his arrival, I think Watford will be starting from scratch, or almost.
"It won't be easy, but he has all the qualities to do well at a big club like Watford and to restore harmony within the squad and the changing room."
He’ll also have to deal with a very hands-on owner and technical staff. Do you think he’ll be able to navigate these dynamics?
"I don't think it will be a problem because I believe he was used to working within these dynamics at Sassuolo, too.
"At the Neroverdi club, there's Giovanni Carnevali, the club's CEO, who has full authority and makes all the decisions; Dionisi wasn’t always used to having a say in the club’s transfer dealings."
Do you think he can adapt to English football and succeed at Watford?
"I'm keen to see Mr Dionisi in action in the Championship. He was a rising star when he arrived at Sassuolo; he’d never been sacked and seemed like he was going to be a huge name of Italian football.
"I’m sure that recent setbacks haven’t affected his talent and that he can make a great comeback, adapting very well to English football. I wish him a wonderful season at Watford."
Rosario Carraffa - Tutto Palmero
What is your view of Dionisi as a coach?
"Alessio Dionisi is a coach who had done well at Sassuolo, which is why he was hired by Palermo FC. He had youthful ideas and focused on building a positive team. However, at Palermo he failed to find the right path."
Why do you think he had less success at Palermo than Sassuolo?
"The club's goal was to secure promotion to Serie A, but it didn't go as planned. He could certainly have done better in a club where there is so much passion from the supporters and staff, which creates a lot of pressure.
"The Palermo crowd is very, very demanding with a strong, united fanbase. He failed to handle that well and the relationship wasn't good."
He will also have to deal with a hands-on owner and technical staff. Do you think he can navigate those politics?
"Dionisi will be able to bring cohesion within the club, but he must be left free to make his own decisions without pressure from above.
"His experience in Palermo has shaped him, and he'll be a good fit. As previously stated, Palermo is a large, demanding club with an ever-present fanbase.
"I believe he can make a success of his time in England. He will have learnt from some mistakes at Palermo and can show he is still a very promising coach."
Share