Watford staff profiles
Pen pics of Watford's coaching, science, medicine and analytics staff. To see staff profiles for other clubs, click here.
FOOTBALL EXECUTIVES
CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Scott Duxbury
Nationality: English
Qualified as a lawyer and worked in that capacity for West Ham before becoming their chief executive. 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. 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.
SPORTING DIRECTOR
Cristiano Giaretta
Nationality: Italian
Joined in August 2020 from Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, where he had worked since February 2019. Staff were told he was leaving in September 2022, only for the Italian to be quickly reinstated. Knows Watford owners the Pozzos from his three-year spell as Sporting Director of their other club, Udinese.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Ben Manga
Nationality: Equatorial Guinea
Played professionally in Germany before moving into coaching and scouting. Spent six-and-a-half seasons at Eintracht Frankfurt, as Scout, Chief Scout and then Director of Professional Football. Joined Watford in December 2022.
COACHING
HEAD COACH
Valerien Ismael
Nationality: French
Led unfashionable Barnsley to the Championship play-offs in 2020/21, where they were beaten in the semis by Swansea. Then joined West Brom, but was sacked after eight months, with the club sitting fifth. Played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace in 1997/98 and his coaching career has included spells at clubs in Germany, Greece and Austria. Is Watford's 10th Head Coach since 2018 and seventh since the end of 2020/21.
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH
Dean Whitehead
Nationality: English
Moved from coaching to playing in 2018/19, working in first-team roles at Huddersfield, Shrewsbury and Port Vale before linking up with Ismaël at Besiktas. Was assistant at Cardiff City in the second half of 2022/23 before joining Ismaël again at Watford in June 2023.
FIRST-TEAM ASSISTANT COACH
Omer Riza
Nationality: Turkish/ English
Pro Licence coach first joined the Hornets in August 2018 as U16s coach. In tandem with his work with Watford, he also coached with England's U16s & U17s assistant. Promoted to first-team duties with Watford in June 2023.
GOALKEEPER COACH
Alex Brunner
Nationality: Italian
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.
PERFORMANCE & MEDICAL
HEAD OF MEDICAL
Dr Ian Hamilton
Nationality: English
Promoted to this new role in 2016.
PERFORMANCE CO-ORDINATOR
Alvaro Reina
Nationality: Spanish
Joined club in November 2020, having been assistant at Deportivo Alavés in La Liga. Was a teacher in Málaga before moving into coaching and performance analysis in 2005. As well as various roles in the Spanish leagues, including three spells at Málaga CF, has worked for FC Dnipro in the Ukranian Premier League and for the Panama national team.
SPORTS SCIENTIST
Lee Stafford
Nationality: English
Joined the club as an intern in October 2015. Went full time with the U21s in July 2016 and promoted to the first team in July 2018.
REHAB FITNESS COACH
Cristian Fernandez
Nationality: Spanish
Worked for Newcastle for five years before a four-month stint at Everton in 2021/22. Joined Watford in August 2022.
S&C COACH
Jorge Abella
Nationality: Spanish
Also arrived with Muñoz in December 2020, having worked with him at Dinamo Tbilisi.
PHYSIO
Daniel Simm
Nationality: English
Was U23 physio for a year before becoming Head of Medical at Peterborough in June 2018. That role only lasted five months, before Simm returned to Watford as first-team physio in October 2018.
ANALYSTS
VIDEO ANALYST
Jack Riley
Nationality: English
Worked with Ismaël at Barnsley, West Brom and Besiktas.
