Former Watford boss hints at Championship return | OneFootball

Former Watford head coach Xisco Munoz has said that he wants to return to the Championship next season.

The Spaniard famously took over the reigns at Watford in December 2020 and went on to guide the Hornets to an immediate return to the Premier League that campaign.

He would eventually be sacked by the Hornets shortly into their 21/22 Premier League campaign, and has since managed in Spain and Cyprus.

Now, though, he is very clear where he wants his next club to be.

"Right now, it is the priority (to return to the Championship). It is the time to come back," Munoz told Sky Sports recently.

"I miss the level of the players in the Championship.

"We will see what happens next season.

"There are a lot of teams at the same level in the Championship, the difference is just a few points between success and failure. So, it is about the details. Sometimes you can play well and sometimes you can play badly, but you need to be the team that takes the spoils.

"It is about the psychology, the management of the group in the Championship. The players need to know what is required, you have to convince them to go again and again every three days. That is a part of football that people do not see but it is an important part."

Xisco's managerial record at Watford is a good one, as outlined above, taking over in December 2020.

Despite a slow start in terms of performances, the results picked up instantly, and Xisco went on to lose just five league matches the rest of that season.

In the end, Watford finished the campaign in second, runners-up behind Norwich City.

The Verdict

It's certainly an interesting thought that Xisco Munoz could return to the Championship.

His only experience in the division was certainly a positive one, and nobody can argue with that.

Indeed, the Hornets went on a brilliant run under the Spaniard to secure automatic promotion in 2020/21 and Xisco deserves a lot of credit for that. However, Watford made a quick change in the Premier League, and he has been relieved of his duties in his two jobs since. Whether or not a Championship side will be willing to take a punt on him remains to be seen.

One thing cannot be argued, though. Without him coming into Vicarage Road and lifting the mood in 2020/21, Watford would not have won promotion.