Watford Football Club have made the move to end their manager's tenure after only five months and 10 games in control, announcing the reappointment of ex-manager Javi Gracia as his successor.
Reports suggest that the Uruguayan coach, who was hired in the spring to take over from Tom Cleverley, along with his technical staff, were told not to take training on Wednesday as speculation about his exit mounted on the previous day.
The 40-year-old was called to a discussion where he became the 11th manager the club have let go since the beginning of 2020.
"We are very pleased to welcome back Gracia," said the club's chief executive. "His enthusiasm, guidance and well-defined plan will help us build consistency, togetherness and positive energy.
"We are sure there are many supporters who hoped Javi had never departed in the past. With this talented team, we are convinced his experience and attributes are exactly what we require at this moment."
The returning manager guided Watford to the FA Cup final for the second time in their history in 2019, but was dismissed a few matches into the next season and last managed at Leeds United in last year.
"Personally, the emotion I have right now is that I'm going back to a familiar place. It was the most enjoyable period of my professional life," he stated. "There are fond memories and we have loose ends here. For us, it's another significant move in our journey.
"This is something special for us, and at the same time we are very ambitious for this campaign. If we are united, we are more powerful."
The decision to remove Pezzolano comes despite the team's win against Oxford at their home ground on Saturday, which lifted them to 11th in the second tier after a difficult opening that earned a handful of points from the first six games.
Pezzolano is reportedly departed disappointed by the decision to let him go, having led Watford to a three-match unbeaten run that also included a victory at home over Hull City and a tie at Portsmouth, leaving them three points off the promotion playoffs.
Pezzolano joined shortly after the conclusion of last season with a proven track record of guiding clubs to promotion in La Liga, South America and his home country.
