Italian manager Giuseppe Sannino had a short but eventful stint at Watford (Image: Richard Heathcote, Getty Images)
Giuseppe Sannino admits he “suffered” while working as a toilet cleaner in a psychiatric hospital before his success as Watford‘s manager. The Italian has enjoyed a long journeyman career, going back to 1996, throughout which he has taken charge of nearly 30 different football clubs.
In that period, Sannino has secured six promotions, four titles and resigned from nine roles – including Watford. His spell with the Hornets marked his only foray into English football, assuming the head coach role in December 2013, just two days after fellow countryman Gianfranco Zola stepped down from the position. Sannino had been without a club since his sacking by Chievo Verona that November, but was handed the responsibility of succeeding the former Chelsea and Italian icon, with 17 years of experience already under his belt. It certainly helped that the Championship outfit were owned by the Pozzos, an Italian family that amassed its wealth through a tool-manufacturing firm, Freud.
Discussing his life prior to becoming a Championship and Serie A manager, Sannino, who has managed Palermo, Chievo and Salernitana, revealed his modest beginnings in southern Italy.
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.”
Reflecting on his own playing career, he said: “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.”
However, he balanced his football aspirations with a gruelling day job well 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.
He replaced Gianfranco Zola at Vicarage Road (Image: PA)
“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.”
He committed himself entirely to football in 1999, when he secured the Serie D title with Sudtirol, after which he stepped down from his cleaning job. Sannino continued: “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 was appointed Watford boss while the team were down in 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.
Sannino cleaned toilets in a hospital (Image: Getty Images)
That impressive form continued into the following 2014/15 campaign, winning four of his five league fixtures to start the campaign. Yet, despite his success on the field, Sannino’s future had been the subject of speculation after 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.
“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.”
Sannino quit his Watford role due to dressing room problems (Image: Robin Parker)
He now admits he regrets his sudden departure, as Watford secured promotion to the Premier League that campaign. 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.”
Addressing 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.”
More than a decade later, Sannino says he will not return to manage in Italy, stating he has already experienced his best days and admitting he is “in decline”. The manager, who currently oversees 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.”