Italian football manager Giuseppe Sannino took over from Gianfranco Zola after enduring a humbling career cleaning toilets in a mental institution
08:41, 22 Feb 2026
Watford manager Giuseppe Sannino during the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Queens Park Rangers at Vicarage Road on December 29, 2013 in Watford, England
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Italian manager Giuseppe Sannino had a short but eventful stint at Watford(Image: Richard Heathcote)
Giuseppe Sannino admits he "suffered" as a toilet cleaner in a psychiatric hospital before working wonders as Watford's manager. The Italian has had a long journeyman career dating back to 1996, during which he has taken charge of close to 30 different football clubs.
In that time, Sannino has clinched six promotions, four titles and resigned from nine roles - including Watford. His stint with the Hornets marked his first and only venture into English football, stepping into the head coach position in December 2013, two days after compatriot Gianfranco Zola resigned from the role.
Sannino had been out of work since being sacked by Chievo Verona that November, but was entrusted with replacing the former Chelsea and Italian legend, with 17 years of experience already under his belt. It helped that the Championship side were owned by the Pozzos, an Italian family that built its fortune through the tool-making company Freud.
Speaking about his life before becoming a Championship and Serie A manager, Sannino, who has managed Palermo, Chievo and Salernitana, revealed his humble origins in southern Italy.
Watford's manager Gianfranco Zola during the npower Football League Championship match at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool.
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He replaced Gianfranco Zola at Vicarage Road(Image: PA)
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The 68-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I was born in Naples, then I moved to Turin. I was the only one who walked around in shorts and flip-flops, which earned me the nickname ‘ciabattino’ (cobbler). I played, often skipping school. Once, my father, to punish me, set fire to my football shoes on the balcony."
The Italian recalled his own playing career, saying: "I was a genius and a wild one; I've never coached someone like me. I reached Serie C, then I stopped at 31 and started coaching the youth team at Vogherese. I secretly went to watch Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan."
Yet, he juggled his football dream with a gruelling day job late into the 1990s. Sannino explained: "Up at 5am, shift at dawn, seven hours there and then back on the field to coach. I did that for 10 years, first in a mental health hospital and then in a regular one.
"I cleaned toilets for the equivalent of 900 euros today. I mopped the floors with sawdust; there were cockroaches, among other things. And I helped patients. In the psychiatric hospital, I experienced true suffering. I remember a very talented painter who sat there painting and you wondered why. In the regular hospital, however, I also saw friends and fans of the Vogherese team die."
Manager Giuseppe Sannino of Watford reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Watford at Portman Road on December 21, 2013 in Ipswich, England
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Sannino cleaned toilets in a mental asylum(Image: Getty Images)
He fully dedicated his life to football in 1999, when he won Serie D with Sudtirol, after which he resigned from his job. Sannino added: "In 1998, at Biellese. I took a year off. But the turning point came in Sudtirol in 1999/2000, when I won the Serie D championship. That summer, I resigned from my job specifically to go there. After winning two championships in Lecco and Crema, I stayed home."
Years later, he received the call to take on the role as Watford boss while the team were 13th in the Championship. By March 15, 2014, Sannino had led Watford to a club record sixth consecutive home win in all competitions without conceding.
Those strong performances continued into the following 2014/15 season, winning four of his five league games to start the campaign. But, for all his remarkable progress on the pitch, Sannino’s future had been the subject of speculation following reports of dressing room unrest and players being unhappy with his management style.
With Watford second in the table, he resigned in August 2014 following a 4-2 win over Huddersfield Town. Sannino said at the time: "I took over a very talented squad when I arrived, but they were boys in many ways.
Manager Giuseppe Sannino of Watford after the final whistle of the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Watford at Portman Road on December 21, 2013 in Ipswich, England,
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Sannino quit his Watford role due to dressing room problems(Image: Robin Parker)
"I'm proud of what we have achieved, and I have no doubt that the squad now, who look very much like men who know exactly what they must do, are very capable of getting promotion from this tough Championship league.
"I know I have given everything to Watford; I have given my heart and soul to the job. However, I feel I have gone as far as I can so, for the benefit of me and the club, I feel the time is right for me to move on."
He has now admitted he regrets leaving so hastily, while Watford went on to seal promotion to the Premier League that season. Sannino said: "My only regret: I called it quits after four wins out of the first five. I didn't like the freedom some players had. I have to be myself. If I'd continued, I'd have been at odds with everyone. At the end of the year, the team was promoted to the Premier League."
Explaining why there have been so many resignations in his career, he added: "That's who I am: I speak to your face. I resigned for dignity, even though it meant giving up money. At Watford, I said goodbye to £550,000 after four wins out of five. And after winning Carpi's first Serie A match, I said it was all Castori's, not mine."
Over a decade on, Sannino admits he will not return to coach in Italy, saying he has already enjoyed his best days and admitting he is "in decline". The manager, who is currently in charge of second tier Swiss side AC Bellinzona, said: "Social media is devastating. At my age, I don't want that. I'm someone who came from nowhere and made my way up."
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