Watford confirm Cristiano Giaretta as new sporting director ahead of Championship promotion bid

Watford have appointed Cristiano Giaretta as their new sporting director.

Giaretta comes with an impressive reputation and is credited with being the man who discovered midfielder Bruno Fernandes, now at Manchester United.

Back in 2012, Giaretta was working for then Serie B side Novara Calcio as their sporting director and he signed a 17-year-old Fernandes for €40,000 (£36,000) after watching him play for Boavista’s youth team.

The 52-year-old will now be hoping to enjoy more success at Watford after being appointed by the club as they prepare for life in the Championship.

“I know the philosophy of this club because I worked for three seasons in Udine with the Pozzo family ownership,” said Giaretta.

“After what happened last season at Watford, it’s now time to move on with great positivity.

“It’s been important for me to get to know the coach [Vladimir Ivic] and his staff very well over the past few weeks because the creation of a strong mentality around the squad environment is really important to the job of bouncing back.

“I’m very honoured with this position – that is for sure. This is a great challenge to face and I’m here with a lot of enthusiasm to transmit to everybody.

“We have all the tools here to complete a successful job. Working together, we can find the best solutions for this club, I believe very quickly.

“There’s only one key; and that’s hard work. There’s no other words I need to say.

“To achieve your goal, work hard, have a great mentality to face some negative moments but with the confidence of having prepared strongly for a long and successful season.”