Confirmed: Former Watford key figure handed major Nottingham Forest role | OneFootball

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Football League World

·5 October 2022

Confirmed: Former Watford key figure handed major Nottingham Forest role

Article image:Confirmed: Former Watford key figure handed major Nottingham Forest role

Ex-Watford Technical Director Filippo Giraldi has been appointed at struggling Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest in the role of Sporting Director

As first revealed by The Telegraph’s John Percy earlier this afternoon, Giraldi was set to be given the important job at the City Ground to work alongside Steve Cooper, who will not be sacked after the club’s poor start to life back in the top flight and instead will be given time to work things out.


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Giraldi worked at Watford for eight years, arriving in 2012 following the takeover of the Pozzo Family as Chief Scout after previously being employed by Italian side Brescia.

Quiz: Did Watford win, draw or lose the last time they played at these 18 stadiums?

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Article image:Confirmed: Former Watford key figure handed major Nottingham Forest role

Did Watford win, lose or draw the last time they played at Goodison Park?

Win Lose Draw

After five years in that job, Giraldi moved on to become the Technical Director of the Hertfordshire outfit, a job in which he stayed for over three years, but his time ended sourly as Watford were relegated from the Premier League and a few months later, after Cristiano Giaretta was appointed Sporting Director, Giraldi was let go.

The 48-year-old has remained without a job in football since his departure from Watford in November 2020, but now he has returned to the big time with Forest.

The Verdict

Whilst he was one of the scapegoats for the relegation in 2020 from the Premier League after many years of stability in the top flight, Giraldi did do a lot of good for Watford.

The likes of Richarlison, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Gerard Deulofeu and Etienne Capoue were brought in either through him being Chief Scout or Technical Director, so he clearly had an eye for a player and a good deal.

Sometimes though, things start to go stale when you have been at a club for a long time, and that’s potentially what happened at Watford – Giaretta being brought in above him as well couldn’t have helped either.

Forest will be a challenge in itself for Giraldi because of the upheavel in playing talent they had this summer and the fact it’s not going so well on the pitch currently, but with his years of Premier League experience, he will be looking to make an impact.

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