Gino Pozzo- Watford FC
Gino Pozzo, the owner of the Watford Football Club, has been one of the most talked-about figures in the European sports scene. This is because he is known to take and lead lower-division football clubs to the top-flight leagues in each of his home countries.
Born in Udine, Italy to father Gianpaolo and mother Giuliana, his passion for football seems genetic. His father was a football enthusiast, while his mother was related to Udinese Calcio football club’s former presidents, a club they have had steadfast loyalty to date.
Gino Pozzo moved to the United States at the age of 18, earned a masters from Harvard University, and married Catalan. He then relocated and lived in Barcelona for 20 years, within which time he joined the leadership of Udinese. He would then be involved in the acquisition of Granada F.C in 2009. Gino would then move to London in 2013, a year after acquiring Watford F.C, where he would be involved in the club’s daily operations, on and off-pitch. By 2015, all three clubs were competing in the top flight competitions of their respective countries.
Pozzos Family Legacy
Their history in the sports club ownership business can be traced back to the woodworking/tool-making family business, whose profits were used to purchase the first sports club, Udinese club by Gino’s father Gianpaolo. They also own an electrical appliances business, and most recently taken to property and finance mergers. Their focus, however, is in football clubs’ investments. Their multimillion-dollar clubs aren’t just passion and emotion-driven but are also profit-driven investments. Pozzos now own Udinese, Giuliana, and Watford football clubs.
The Watford Club
Gino purchased Watford F.C in 2012, making Pozzos the only family to own three football clubs in the world, which is in Italy, England, and Spain. Watford’s CEO S. Duxbury and Udinese’s recruitment head A. Carnevale agree that Gino’s scout-driven recruitment approach model and the free trading of players between the family’s clubs have greatly contributed to the clubs’ success. Carnevale calls him the best owner in the world.