Claudio Ranieri’s managerial career has spanned 35 years, at more than 20 different clubs. In that time, the Italian has crossed paths with faces familiar to Watford supporters in countries including Italy, Spain and England.
Here are five in particular who have played under the new Hornets Head Coach during their career…
Slaviša Jokanović
Fourteen years before he took his place in the Vicarage Road dugout Slaviša Jokanović was playing in the Premier League for Chelsea.
Jokanović moved to Stamford Bridge a month after Ranieri’s arrival in West London, playing under him for two seasons.
The current Sheffield United boss made over 50 appearances for the Blues as a midfielder and left the club in 2002.
Alex Kačaniklić
Swedish winger Alex Kačaniklić spent half a season on loan at Watford in 2012. He made his professional debut with the Hornets, and appeared 11 times in a Watford shirt before returning to Fulham.
He spent two years at French side FC Nantes, moving there in 2016. Ranieri’s tenure at the club began a year later, with Kačaniklić making 12 appearances under the Italian.
Gianfranco Zola
Former Watford Head Coach Gianfranco Zola played under Ranieri at both Napoli and Chelsea. No player has made more appearances for Ranieri than Zola, and no-one has coached Zola for more games than Ranieri.
The forward was integrated into the Napoli first team by Ranieri after Diego Maradona’s departure from the club, and he was already at Chelsea when Ranieri arrived in 2000.
Davide Faraoni
Current Hellas Verona full-back Davide Faraoni made his Serie A debut for Ranieri’s Inter Milan in November 2011, after making his way up through the youth squads.
The Head Coach had only arrived two months earlier, improving results and later taking the Nerazzurri on a seven-game win streak.
Faraoni joined Watford in 2013 and made 38 appearances in the Championship in 2013/14 under Italians Zola and Beppe Sannino.
Marco Cassetti
Another Italian defender who played under both Zola and Ranieri was Marco Cassetti, who joined Watford after six years at Roma.
It was in the Italian capital that Cassetti played for Ranieri, between 2009 and 2011.
The former Italy international spent almost two years at Vicarage Road, making 81 appearances between 2012 and 2014.
