Mazzarri staying happy as a Hornet
WATFORD manager Walter Mazzarri has dismissed suggestions that he might return to Italy and claims he wants to see out his three-year contract at Vicarage Road.
The 55-year-old has been linked with a switch to Fiorentina if Paulo Sousa leaves for Juventus.
But Mazzarri has signalled his intention to stay in England and end Watford’s culture of changing managers, having become their ninth appointment in seven years last summer.
“They are just rumours,” he said. “I still have three years here at Watford. I’m very happy and I don’t think about anything else.
“I want to do my best here and prepare for the next two years. I came here because Watford was what I wanted.”
Mazzarri has revealed he turned down offers from other Italian clubs before taking his first overseas role at Watford.
“I had other proposals in Italy so could have stayed there,” he said. “All the objectives when I was managing in Italy I achieved aside from Inter when I was not given enough time. I want to do something important here in the UK with Watford.”
The Hornets are back in action today with a trip to Crystal Palace, whose manager Sam Allardyce says he will reward himself with three weeks of gentle celebration at his villa in Spain if his side avoid relegation.
And it is hard to miss his place – it has ‘Big Sam’s Villa’ picked out in 6in letters on the outside wall.
After two successive wins against Middlesbrough and West Brom he has given his team a target of 38 – another 13 more and he can open the Sangria.
He said: “Becoming top club of the bottom seven is our target, but by now the players must be sick and tired of me telling them, ‘just don’t lose’ – but that’s what it is all about.
“Driving yourself on as the club leader is what you do, I don’t see it as a job, but I do consider it a pleasure to work in this industry.
“If we stay up I’m not sure I will be dancing on the pitch, but I’ll be excited.
“Some people say how can you get excited about avoiding relegation. It would be a big thing for this club – who knows what Crystal Palace would be if it didn’t have a Premier League club?
“It wouldn’t be on the map but now it brings a huge amount of business for everybody in this area. So if we do it, I’ll have a really good holiday in the sunshine, chill out and relax.
“Life has its massive ups and downs and you can feel dejected at some stage, a little weary of it all. So I’ll lock myself away in my villa for as long as I can.”