Valerien Ismael: Watford name ex-Barnsley and West Brom boss as new head coach
- Published
Valerien Ismael left his job with Turkish club Besiktas in October last year
Watford have appointed former Barnsley and West Brom boss Valerien Ismael as their new head coach.
The 47-year-old replaces Chris Wilder, appointed in March on a short-term deal through to the end of the season.
Under Wilder, the Hornets finished 11th in the Championship, six points adrift of the play-off places.
Ismael was most recently with Turkish club Besiktas, having been appointed by them just a month after being sacked by West Brom in February 2022.
"Being able to appoint a new coach so soon in May means we can prepare very well together for next season," said Watford's technical director Ben Manga.
"To be able to welcome someone of Valerien's experience to Watford is good news for our club. We are all looking forward to working with him."
Ismael left The Hawthorns with the club fifth in the Championship, after just eight months in charge.
The Frenchman took over following the club's relegation from the Premier League in 2021, having agreed a four-year contract.
He won four of his first five games in charge, but only eight of the next 24 and some fans were critical of his preferred style of play.
His approach had proved successful at Barnsley, where he was appointed in the autumn of 2020 and led them to the second-tier play-offs before losing on aggregate to Swansea City.
Former defender Ismael played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace in 1997-98 and his coaching career has also included spells at clubs in Germany, Greece and Austria.
He is Watford's 10th full-time head coach since Javi Gracia departed in September 2019 and seventh since the end of the 2020-21 season.
Since Sean Dyche left Vicarage Road in 2012, Gianfranco Zola, Giuseppe Sannino, Oscar Garcia, Billy McKinlay, Slavisa Jokanovic, Quique Sanchez Flores, Walter Mazzarri, Marco Silva, Javi Gracia, Nigel Pearson, Vladimir Ivic, Xisco Munoz, Claudio Ranieri, Roy Hodgson, Rob Edwards, Slaven Bilic and Wilder have all had spells in charge.