most relevant financial events such as yearly salaries, contracts, earn outs, endorsements, stock ownership and much more. After spending more than $100m but failing to find the next Messi, Football Dreams was disbanded in 2016. The small room, packed with circular tables, fills with noise. It is most certainly not a closed shop or invite only. Though there is a desire to develop other parts of Watfords business, from expanding their stadium and seeking sponsorship deals, the obsession is trading players. Theydidn't see quite what we were doing, but I like to think that, as we proved what we were trying to do, the family stayed with us and then they saw that we were trying to build a football club that was going to achievesuccess. We believed in the players, we believed in the vision and then people came with us.". Team Focus: Watford Formed: 1881 Stadium: Vicarage Road Stadium (21,000) Captain: Tom Cleverley Chairman: Scott Duxbury Manager: Slaven Bili Competitions: Championship position 3 "There will be lessons learned and changes made but, from today, we move forward. All major decisions are made by a triumvirate of Pozzo, Duxbury and Giraldi. The Pozzos have faced more serious allegations. No teams ever been relegated with 11 wins, says Duxbury. To see staff profiles for other clubs, click here. About. Filter appointments . That's where we should be. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. He has a history of doing this. Yet a better way to understand how the club play the transfer market is to look at their wage bill the fifth lowest in the division. To create a team to take on local giants such as AC Milan and Juventus, they deployed scouts far and wide. The Pozzos were keen to buy an English club following the success of Granada and after discussing several possibilities, the family decided Watford were the perfect project. atford chairman and CEO Scott Duxbury made a statement in a recent interview you would not expect from a Premier League club chief. We dont want to hide behind anything. Between Udinese and Watford, the family own about 80 senior players, each representing a potential blockbuster transfer. For primary use with Football Manager 2021. . By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. Along with the clubs Finance Director Emiliano Russo and Head of Communications Richard Walker, it was refreshing to be able to speak with supporters in an environment where confidentiality from both sides was assured. Beneath them is best described as a scouting board, with eight or nine individuals based around the world. That system is headed up by Duxbury, owner Gino Pozzo and technical director Filippo Giraldi. Duxbury recalls: I said to Filippo, Is he any good? [Giraldi] went, Yes, hes phenomenal, Scott, but its got to be a joke, how on earth can we do this?, I phone West Ham. In the UK, footballers from non-EU countries cannot gain work visas unless they satisfy certain eligibility requirements, such as playing for their national teams or racking up games in a major European league. If you look at the world in front of you, there is somewhere a better player than [the one] you are chasing., The same approach applies to managers. Most, however, are obsessive freelancers who travel thousands of miles a season, are paid little more than 40 pence a mile for petrol, and are sustained by a diet of bacon sandwiches. Watford get a good fee, the player gets his move and the system kicks into life again. Its been discussed, its been accepted. This year, Watford rejected an offer from an American media company to buy a 35.7 per cent stake in the club for 125m, valuing it at a whopping 350m. It's the biggest achievement in my career. But for a club with Watfords limited resources survival is the primary objective (the bottom three teams each season are relegated). Was a goalkeeper in his homeland, playing more than 300 senior games, before moving into coaching with Como and then Udinese, Watford's sister club. If you sign a good English player, you will start easily from ten [thousand pounds] per week. My continued very best wishes, on behalf of everyone here at Watford Football Club, to you and your families. Arsenal 3-2 Watford: Hornets haven't been good enough this season - Deeney. Given the clubs faith in their scouting network, they are not fearful of players leaving and as such they can be upfront to them when they join. Read about our approach to external linking. To pretend the league situation is anything other than it is would be futile the stark reality of the Premier League table bears witness to that. Moving on? NORWICH CITY Sporting Director Stuart Webber admits his long-term future may not be in football after revealing the abuse he has experienced from some sections of the clubs fanbase in the last year. Of the 28 teams to have played in the Premier League in the past three years, only four have bought a lower percentage of players from the British Isles, according to 21st Club. well take a risk.. Some traits, such as speed and strength, are measurable. Watford can now afford the price tags attached to better-known players. info@trainingground.guru, About Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury (left) with technical director Filippo Giraldi In an office locked away from the hubbub is Gino Pozzo, Watford's owner. Other clubs deploy these tactics but few as often as Watford. A few weeks ago, SirElton John, international pop star, sent a message to Scott Duxbury, chief executive of Watford football club. . But Chaudhuri has found that in only half of transfers of peak-age players those in their mid- to late-twenties do they end up playing 50 per cent of minutes for the club they sign for. They just want to do a deal because they know theyre going to lose him in January, [so] we have a guy in a car park with 10 minutes to go before the window closes., Duxbury spoke to Pozzo, who instantly gave the green light. Watford look set for another season in Englands top tier following an outstanding start to this term. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. "I view it as a family," he said. One strategy is to use the loan market to their advantage. Over the course of a decade, he held trials for five million children across Africa, Latin America and south-east Asia. WATFORD ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED(THE) (00104194) Company status Active Correspondence address Vicarage Road Stadium, Vicarage Road, Watford Hertfordshire, WD18 0ER. In Pozzos six years of ownership, the club have hired nine head coaches. He was told that Domingos Quina, an 18-year-old Portuguese midfielder with West Ham United, was in the car park of Watfords training ground and wanted a move to Watford. Watford FC Chairman & CEO Scott Duxbury shares his thoughts ahead of this afternoons Premier League clash with Leeds United Late last week, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting a small group of fans to begin a longer-term and wide-ranging process of discussions under the banner of a newly-constituted Fans Committee. contact the editor here. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. As a result, Colomer was recruited by the state of Qatar in 2007 to help to establish a programme called Football Dreams for the Doha-based Aspire Academy. One example is Richarlison de Andrade, the Brazilian forward sold to Everton this summer for a reported 35.2m. The company made a turnover of $297 billion in 2011. The Pozzos were ridiculed when they came to power, with plenty questioning how a head coach could be in place when he did not have the complete say on transfers. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website, Here's How Drew Barrymore Made Her $125 Million Fortune, Kim Kardashians $150 Million Private Jet Has Strict Rules, Travis Barker Releases New CBD Skincare, But Its Causing Controversy, Moving To Canada? They watch matches, then attempt to decipher which players have what it takes. Though they employ an outside firm to provide some data analysis on players, the club rely on the subjective judgments of their scouts. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Duxbury responded Sir Elton texts most days and always gets a reply but politely declined the advice. It's surreal. Everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment. Last updated on 27 July 202027 July 2020.From the section Watford. . Overseas players are attracted to Watford as it gives them an invaluable shop window into Europes top leagues, a platform from which they can convince bigger clubs to acquire them. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. This is a risky strategy. Sociology graduate student at the Ohio State University. Players leaving doesnt concern me, he told talkSPORT. (He rarely gives interviews and declined to speak to the FT.) Pozzo, 52, is the mastermind behind Watfords trading strategies. Watford are one of the Premier Leaguespoorest clubs. Love, Elton.. It's time to reflect on a job well done in winning promotion back. cookies Brother of the Head Coach and also arrived at the club in December 2020, having previously spent a season with Valencia in La Liga. For me personally, its more trying to improve as a player by getting the experience that I need to get and hopefully go on to bigger things. Chalobah was recently called up by the England national team. . Assessing the quality of developed players is every bit as difficult. Everyone has been aware of that this week. Then, Pozzo, Giraldi and Duxbury draw up lists of around four desirable players in each position, as well as tallies of younger targets that could eventually graduate into the side. Others follow a similar method. In 2006, Udinese signed a 17-year-old Alexis Snchez for 2.7m from Chilean club Cobreloa but immediately loaned him to other South American sides. His time at Upton Park was controversial though, with the club fined 30m because of the Carlos Tevez affair, and he left in 2010 when David Gold and David Sullivan took over. All Rights Reserved, Webber considering long-term future outside football after abuse, Strudwick steps down as Wales Head of Performance after five years, Plymouth secure permanent home for Academy as they prepare for Cat 2, Inside Brentfords new Robert Rowan Performance Centre, How futsal is part of the football fabric of River Plate in Argentina, App that gives released players new Routes after Academy football, How Ajax are building a full model of football, John Morling: Ferguson, Moran and different approaches to development. My continued very best wishes, on behalf of everyone here at Watford Football Club, to you and your families. Duxbury calls them absolute nonsense. This is your chance to discuss club matters with senior club officials, as host Michael Kurn is joined by Scott Duxbury, CEO \u0026 Chairman, and Head Coach Vladimir Ivi.You can submit your questions by using #wfcatourplace on any of our social media channels or by emailing dave.messenger@watfordfc.com.Subscribe to the club's official YouTube channel bit.ly/1jaYzL9Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/WatfordFCLike us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/watfordfcofficial/Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/watfordfc/Welcome to the official home of Watford Football Club on YouTube. The move to acquire clubs has given the Pozzos operation greater scale. "There were other clubs they spoke to but none really had the history of Watford and quite frankly the potential. Comments have been closed on this article. Scott Duxbury sat down with the Watford Observer's Frank Smith this week. But it will be the trio of Duxbury, Nani and Zola who will run the club, on and off the pitch. Duxbury has assumed a similar role at Watford to the one he held at West Ham, where he was criticised for his part in the Carlos Tevez affair. As well as various roles in the Spanish leagues, including three spells at Mlaga CF, has worked for FC Dnipro in the Ukranian Premier League and for the Panama national team. A couple of seasons later he was a battle-hardened attacker ready to play in Italy. Of course, no one is perfect and Watford have made mistakes. To Watford Fans: From Gino Pozzo & Scott Duxbury. Watford FC Chairman & CEO Scott Duxbury shares his thoughts ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Burnley. EVAN FERGUSON and Andy Moran both joined Brighton's Academy at the age of 16 from clubs in the League of Ireland. Former Chelsea and England striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live: "The owner dictates everything and he needs to have a good look at himself. The likelihood is that any team that are consistently among the lowest spending in the division will eventually have a bad season. How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. The only place youll be able to find fresh content from throughout the club, including behind-the-scenes access at training, interviews with stars past and present and all the best action from each and every Watford FC Premier League game. But judging ability is tricky. They try to keep the identity of the club, so I think Watford fans should be really encouraged. Calvin after shadowing people such as Mel Johnson, who spotted current international starsGareth Bale andRaheem Sterling as teenagers reckons scouts develop intuition that allows them to divine which players will make it to the top. They have bought Watford solely so it can become an established Premier League club. The noise weve heard at Vicarage Road in recent times has been relentless. It is unfashionable and it is small. It was how they were able to persuade Gerard Deulofeu to sign from Barcelona and Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea, while Domingos Quina turned up at the training ground on deadline day in the summer when West Ham said he could go because he knew Watford would give him a chance. Watford's five-year top-flight stay ended after a 3-2 loss at Arsenal and Aston Villa's draw against West Ham. That role only lasted five months, before Simm returned to Watford as first-team physio in October 2018. Worked for Tottenham for three-and-a-half years, latterly as Head of Academy Analysis, before joining Watford in June 2021. Data profile of Scott Duxbury who is contracted to Watford. Watford have been criticised for their propensity to fire managers. "There were moments where it was touch and go whether we thought we could actually continue, but we managed to find a way through, we managed to adapt, and we've got back to the Premier League, which iseverything for this football club. Other organisations maintain a similar constellation of clubs. . Went full time with the U21s in July 2016 and promoted to the first team in July 2018. . Truth be told there is a myth about Watfords transfer set-up. The asking price for their preferred target went to a level we werent comfortable with. However, he was also sacked with just two matches remaining, with under-23s boss Hayden Mullins put in charge, but back-to-back defeats condemned the Hornets to the Championship next season. If you didnt have that speed of decision-making, he wouldnt be here now.. They leave the management to myself, Gian Luca and Gianfranco, but we know they are always there if we need help and support.. Click HERE to sync your online/mobile calendar with all the club's 2021/22 fixtures. If a diamond is found in the dust, scouts take credit for the discovery. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's And while our full focus is of course on the current season, if you are thinking about things beyond the end of this campaign then I do hope Season Ticket holders reading in have already seen fit to renew for next year courtesy of the reduced prices offered within our Early Renewal period. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Russian far-right fighter claims border stunt exposes Putins weakness, Germany seeks to buy Leopard tanks from Switzerland, Germany and Italy stall EU ban on combustion engines, Ukraine asks EU for 250,000 artillery shells a month, Russia on alert after reconnaissance group crosses over from Ukraine, Panic station at Fox News: how the Murdochs agonised over Trumps loss, Saudi owner of Londons most expensive house sued over alleged unpaid private jet bills, UK cabbage king turns to plant-based proteins, UK housing market braced for make-or-break spring, Airlines plan to sue Dutch government over Schiphol airport flight cap, There are no domestic equity investors: why companies are fleeing Londons stock market, Live news updates from March 3: Amazon pauses HQ2 construction, UK regulators launch LME probe, Deluge of inflation data pushes US borrowing costs to 2007 levels, FCA regulator blamed for Arms decision to shun London listing, Clutching Warrens letter, Im still positive on stocks, Joe Biden teaches the EU a lesson or two on big state dirigisme. Our Supporter Liaison team contacted a number of different supporter groups, and they were joined by a mix of those that broadcast and write about club goings-on; including podcasters, bloggers, fanzine editors and YouTubers. The Pozzos may be the family with their name above the door but it will be former West Ham United duo Scott Duxbury and Gian Luca Nani who will be running the club on a daily basis. I never fall in love with a player, adds Giraldi. The Watford Observer caught up with the Hornets' new chief executive this week to discuss how he arrived at Vicarage Road . Duxbury said: Their whole philosophy is that they believe in the men they put in place and they are there to provide support. Simply put, staying in the Premier League is valuable. Those regimes are motivated, at least in part, by marketing the brands of the owners. He worked with former Manchester United director Maurice Watkins at James Chapman and Co and was seconded to the Red Devils. A larger scouting network is able to cover more ground. Tom Heaton. Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to take Watford Football Club back to the Premier League, something we all believe we can achieve. Duxbury has spent most of his adult life involved in football after qualifying as a lawyer. Abu Dhabi-controlled City Football Group, which ownsManchester City, also has sides in the US and Australia, while energy drinks manufacturerRed Bull owns teams in Austria and Germany. This will be an extremely exciting campaign for the club . Joined Watford in December 2022. Scott Duxbury, Watford chief executive. The family have vehemently denied the allegations. And when I say cheap, in terms of transfer fee, it can be similar, but in terms of salary, [there is] a massive difference. I want them to achieve the best that they could possibly do in their career. In the three seasons since promotion, Watford have secured 12 victories on one occasion and 11 wins in the other two. Yet, there is scant evidence that even the best scouts can guarantee sure-fire hits. Captain Troy Deeney said he does not know if he has, Epic new drama sees witches fighting terror. We have to be scrupulously honest with ourselves and admit our efforts surrounding the team were not good enough. He is the managing director of Vitol, a Geneva-based oil trading company. He aspires to scale greater heights, of course. Saturday May 09 2020, 12.01am, The Times. A greater windfall is possible. (He rarely gives interviews and. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please HP10 9TY. Place small sums into lots of high-risk ventures. But Watford largely eschew such methods, Giraldi says. But once we make a plan, we share it. The financial constraints of dropping down a division, coupled with the added pressure of the global pandemic meant that the odds were stacked against the Hornets, but their win against Millwall on Saturday confirmed they would be returning to the top flight at the first time of asking. They should not be competing in the Champions League but it is only because of the expertise of the Pozzos and the infrastructure they have developed that they are doing it year in and year out. Also a well-travelled coach, having managed sides in Croatia, Russia, Turkey, England, Saudi Arabia and China. Has been at Watford since 2012, when the Pozzo family took over, and is a key figure on both the football and business sides of the club. Analysis and opinion from our chief football writer. If he leaves, he can be replaced and the whole system does not fall apart. . Pen pics of Watford's coaching, science, medicine and analytics staff. Enter your password to log in. Manchester United, the richest club in the world, employ 50 full-time scouts globally. Goalkeeper Ben Foster cost 3.5m and Jose Holebas 2.5m. We dont want a guy from Watford and one from Udinese watching the same game, that would be stupid.. Omar Chaudhuri, an executive at 21st Club, a football consultancy, says the best way to judge whether a transfer is a success is the amount of time a new signing actually appears on the pitch. Comments have been closed on this article. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. If thats playing for Real Madrid orParis Saint-Germain, thats mutually compatible with our ambition because we will improve as a football club, they will improve as a player, and the merry-go-round will continue.. The club have 100 potential contracts already drawn up should the opportunity to sign a targeted player arise. Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 9, 2020 Watford, who are 17th in the league and only above the relegation zone on goal difference, beat runway leaders Liverpool in a shock victory at their Vicarage Road ground in February -- a result Duxbury says was influenced by . If you sign a SouthAmerican, you can start at ten [thousand pounds] a month.. Duxbury claimed that financial pressure was not the only thing the clubfound it difficult to contend with during the season, saying that the Watford "family" not being entirely on the same page at moments during the campaign caused added stress. We try to have independence between [Udinese and Watford], says Giraldi. Everybody wins. But they also know most players found by scouts will not succeed. We close the deal and weve signed a player that in the Carabao Cup [one of Englands two main cup competitions] scored a wonder goal, then in midweek for Portugal [under-19s], scored another wonder goal. "I've always said from day one that together we can achieve great things and it's not just rhetoric, it's the truth," he said. On Monday, Pozzo and Duxbury added: "Every club wants to be playing at the highest possible level. See all the latest from stars such as Troy Deeney, William Troost-Ekong, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ismala Sarr, Joo Pedro, Ken Sema, Domingos Quina and many more.Youll also be able to find out much more about the history of the club, including legends such as Graham Taylor, Elton John, Luther Blissett and John Barnes. Earlier that day, Watford had lost 4-0 to English Premier League rivals Bournemouth on a dismal, drizzly day at their home ground of Vicarage Road. We have to do something different. and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, British businessman and board member of Watford FC, David Fransen has a net worth of$104.26 million. Although supporter engagement of this kind has been a while in the making during this season, we feel last weeks meeting constituted a really positive first step in better opening up structured and long-lasting lines of two-way communication. The plan now is to establish the Hornets in the top flight once again and grow from there. Born on 1st March 1972. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The lucky few are on a salary but live in perennial fear of the sack, frequently turfed out along with a teams manager when results go south. He ended up moving to West Ham and worked his way from legal advisor to chief executive, when he worked closely with Nani and Gianfranco Zola. The question ishow? There is a long list of top footballers who have emerged through Udineses ranks, including Colombias Juan Cuadrado, Moroccos Medhi Benatia and Slovenias Samir Handanovi. personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to Played professionally in Germany before moving into coaching and scouting. A lot of the bigger clubs, they will look at a player and they need a little more convincing, a little more proof. Duxbury has spent most of his adult life involved in football after qualifying as a lawyer. But fortunes changed under Nigel Pearson and the former Leicester boss guided Watford out of the relegation zone with seven victories and 25 points from his 20 games in charge.