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_(portrait).jpg) Paulo Pezzolano in 2025. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo César Pezzolano Suárez | ||
| Date of birth | (1983-04-25)25 April 1983 (age 42) | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2006 | Rentistas | 49 | (16) |
| 2006 | Atlético Paranaense | 5 | (2) |
| 2006-2007 | Defensor Sporting | 31 | (5) |
| 2008 | Peñarol | 12 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Liverpool Montevideo | 39 | (20) |
| 2009–2010 | →Mallorca (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Zhejiang FC | 24 | (6) |
| 2012 | Necaxa | 12 | (1) |
| 2012–2016 | Liverpool Montevideo | 74 | (22) |
| 2016 | Torque | 15 | (3) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017 | Torque | ||
| 2018–2019 | Liverpool Montevideo | ||
| 2019–2021 | Pachuca | ||
| 2022–2023 | Cruzeiro | ||
| 2023–2024 | Valladolid | ||
| 2025 | Watford | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paulo César Pezzolano Suárez (Latin American Spanish:[ˈpawlopesoˈlano]; born 25 April 1983) is an Uruguayanfootballmanager and former player who played as anattacking midfielder. He was most recently the head coach ofEFL Championship clubWatford.
Pezzolano comes from the capital city ofMontevideo and is a graduate of the local teamRentistas, were for the senior team he was involved in the age of 18. His team was relegated to theSecond Division after a poor season in 2001. He spent the next two years, after which he returned with his team to theFirst División.
In 2006, he moved to theBrazilian clubAtlético Paranaense; but, after six months, he returned to his native country, signing an agreement withDefensor Sporting. In the2006–07 season, he took a decisive role with his team to achieve third place in the league and to get to the quarter-finals of the2007 Copa Libertadores.
In July 2007, Pezzolano signed withUruguayan giantsPeñarol. Six months later, he joinedLiverpool Montevideo, scoring ahat-trick in his debut againstCentral Español.[1] In his first season (Clausura 2008) with the team, he was the top scorer of the tournament, scoring 12 goals in 14 games. A year later, in theCopa Sudamericana, they were knocked out in the first stage.
In August 2009, Pezzolano went on loan toSpanish teamMallorca.[2] He made hisLa Liga debut on September 19, 2009, meeting with the 4–0 win againstTenerife.[3] Overall, in the2009–2010 season, he played 12 matches in Mallorca, but only one in the starting eleven, as the team led byGregorio Manzano took fifth place in the league table.
Pezzolano was transferred toChinese Super League sideHangzhou Greentown in January 2011.[4] He made hisChinese Super League debut on 1 April 2011 againstNanchang Hengyuan, scoring one goal.[5]
In early January 2012, he joinedLiga de Ascenso sideNecaxa.[6]
In July 2012, he returned to his home city to play for the second time in his career withLiverpool Montevideo. In his first game upon his return, he scored a penalty againstUniversitario in theCopa Sudamericana.[7]
In February 2016, he joinedTorque on a free transfer. He spent a season with them, before announcing his retirement on 23 November 2016, aged 33.[8]
Immediately after retiring, Pezzolano became the manager of Torque for the upcoming season.[8] He led the club to the 2017Segunda División title before leaving the club on 25 November 2017.[9]
On 18 December 2017, Pezzolano was named manager of another club he represented as a player, Liverpool Montevideo.[10] He departed the club on 25 November 2019,[11] after accepting an offer from a foreign club.
Hours after leaving Liverpool, Pezzolano was named in charge ofLiga MX sidePachuca, replacingMartín Palermo.[12] He led Pachuca to the play-offs during the2020–21 season, losing in the semifinals of the 2021 Torneo Guardianes.
On 8 November 2021, after a 15th-place finish in the2021 Apertura tournament, Pezzolano left the club on a mutual agreement.[13]
On 3 January 2022, Pezzolano was announced as new head coach of BrazilianSérie B sideCruzeiro, becoming their first head coach after the team's sale toRonaldo.[14] He reached the finals of the2022 Campeonato Mineiro.
Pezzolano led Cruzeiro to a promotion to theSérie A, and became the champion of the category with the most numbers of anticipated rounds.[15] On 19 March 2023, however, he left the club on a mutual agreement,[16] after their elimination in the2023 Mineiro.
On 4 April 2023, Pezzolano was appointed manager ofReal Valladolid, also owned by Ronaldo, in the place of sackedPacheta.[17] Despitesuffering relegation, he remained in charge of the club in the2023–24 season, and achieved promotion back to the top tier.[18]
On 30 November 2024, after a 5–0 defeat toAtlético Madrid, Valladolid announced that Pezzolano will not continue as manager.[19]
On 13 May 2025, Pezzolano was appointed head coach ofEFL Championship clubWatford.[20] He was sacked on 8 October after the Hornets poor start to the season, with the owner's ambition to fight for promotion.[21] He became the 12th Watford manager in 5 years to be sacked, and was replaced by former Watford andLeeds managerJavi Gracia.[22]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Torque |  | 28 November 2016 | 26 November 2017 | 28 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 48 | 23 | +25 | 057.14 | [23] |
| Liverpool | | 17 December 2017 | 25 November 2019 | 77 | 32 | 24 | 21 | 112 | 94 | +18 | 041.56 | [24] |
| Pachuca |  | 6 December 2019 | 11 November 2021 | 73 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 87 | 84 | +3 | 032.88 | [25] |
| Cruzeiro |  | 4 January 2022 | 19 March 2023 | 63 | 34 | 13 | 16 | 94 | 55 | +39 | 053.97 | [26] |
| Valladolid |  | 4 April 2023 | 30 November 2024 | 71 | 28 | 15 | 28 | 84 | 92 | −8 | 039.44 | [27] |
| Watford |  | 13 May 2025 | 8 October 2025 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 030.00 | |
| Total | 322 | 137 | 87 | 98 | 437 | 361 | +76 | 042.55 | — | |||
Torque
Cruzeiro