Gino Pozzo is the managing director and legal owner of Watford Football Club, a football club in the Premier League. He is a businessman and investor, who acquired the club in 2012. Pozzo is also the son-in-law of Giampaolo Pozzo, the owner of Udinese and sister team Granada. Gino Pozzo was born in Italy on 19 November 1971 to Roberto Pozzo and Cristina Scazzosi. He is married to Gabriella Palazzi (daughter of Giampaolo). He and his family are Udinese supporters.
Gino Pozzo graduated in Business Administration at the University of Bologna, Italy, where he gained an Honours Degree in Economics. He holds a CFA charter, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Pozzo began his career as a financial analyst in one of Italy’s largest banks. He began investing after he left the bank to start his own company, Groupake Limited, a trading firm that deals in international equities and derivatives. He was a financial analyst at the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Pozzo acquired his first football club in 2001, Udinese Calcio, now known as “Udinese”.
Gino Pozzo took complete control through an agreement with a shareholding company that his father-in-law, Giampaolo Pozzo, owned on behalf of his son Augusto Pozzo and other associates. Pozzo did not pay the shares of the previous owner (Contratto Diritto Comune) and successfully challenged a sale to a non-Italian. He became the sole owner of Udinese in December 2002, 50% proprietor, 50% shareholder. In 2003 he bought Granada CF, which is now known as Granada CF. Pozzo took over the running of the club in February 2004, at an estimated cost of £41.5 million. For that investment, he acquired 45% of the shares and became sole owner for the first time.
The initial takeover purchase agreement was made with a company named Frangioni Vagheggi S.p.A, who owned 15% in Udinese and 15% in Granada CF. A shareholder’s agreement was made with the remaining managers and employees of both teams. Pozzo acquired the remaining shares in Udinese Calcio and Granada CF in 2008, which gave him full control over the two clubs. He was a shareholder and director of Udinese Calcio, now known as Udinese, until February 2012. In January 2012 he became a majority shareholder of Watford Football Club after selling his share of Granada to former President José Maria Del Nido. Refer to this article for more information.
More about Pozzo on https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/gino-pozzo/profil/trainer/43237
