Watford have appointed Alessio Dionisi as head coach on a two-year contract. The 46-year-old Italian replaces Ed Still, who was sacked on 3 May after less than three months in charge at Vicarage Road. Watford were thrashed 4-0 by Coventry City in Still's final game and finished 16th in the Championship, 16 points adrift of the play-off places. Dionisi is Watford's 12th head coach, not including interim bosses, since the end of the 2020-21 season. Sporting director Gianluca Nani said Alessio has been on our radar for a long period and we are really pleased to have reached an agreement with him. Dionisi was sacked by Serie B club Empoli in March after only five months in charge following a run of five wins in 22 matches. He will bring Luca Vigiani, who worked under former Watford boss Walter Mazzarri, back to Vicarage Road as an analyst. Dionisi won the Serie B title in his first spell with Empoli in the 2020-21 season. He becomes the first Italian to manage Watford since Claudio Ranieri in the 2021-22 season. Last season turned out to be a turbulent one for the club, with three permanent head coaches and interim boss Charlie Daniels' two-game spell in charge. On the morning of their final-day drubbing by Coventry, chief executive Scott Duxbury wrote a statement on the club website saying Watford had made mistakes, labelling their end to the campaign unacceptable. Dionisi will now embark on his 10th job in a 12-year managerial career, the first outside of his homeland. Nani said he is an excellent coach, who we believe has the credentials to get the best out of the players we have in the squad and those we want to add. Watford have now reached an agreement with Empoli over Dionisi's contract, which was set to run until near the end of 2027. Dionisi will bring new head of physical performance Fabio Spighi to Vicarage Road. The club's fans will be hoping Dionisi can turn things around after a disappointing season. With his experience and credentials, he may be the right man for the job. Watford's players will be looking to impress Dionisi and secure their places in the team. The new head coach will have a lot of work to do to get the team ready for the new season.