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Watford have appointed 2016 Premier League champion Claudio Ranieri as their new head coach. Ranieri, the managerial mastermind behind Leicester's shock title win five years ago, replaces Xisco Munoz, sacked on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat away to Leeds United. The 69-year-old has signed a two-year contract at Vicarage Road for what will be his fourth job in the Premier League.

The Hornets had picked up seven points from their opening seven games under Munoz but the club hierarchy pointed to "a negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving" in sacking the man who had guided them to Premier League promotion. Watford's Italian owners, the Pozzo family, are making a 14th managerial change since acquiring the club in 2012. 

Watford's new manager will be joined by assistant coaches Paolo Benetti and Carlo Cornacchia, the former having worked with Ranieri since 2007. Carlo Spignoli has also joined as a fitness coach.

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Watford will be Ranieri's 21st job in management and his fourth stint in the Premier League. Formerly of Chelsea, the Italian achieved his most remarkable success at Leicester City, the +500000 outsiders who stunned the world by winning the English title in the 2015-16 season. However the veteran manager's track record in England is not without its blemishes. A disastrous 17-match stint with Fulham effectively sent the Cottagers down to the Championship in the 2018-19 season as Ranieri guided the Cottagers to just three wins.

Ranieri's first match in charge of his new team will be at home to Liverpool on Oct. 16.