Soccer-Former Barca player Garcia appointed Watford head coach

Reuters

LONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Former Barcelona player Oscar Garcia has been appointed new head coach of English championship (second tier) club Watford, it was announced on Tuesday. The 41-year-old Spaniard, who quit as Brighton and Hove Albion boss after losing in the Championship playoff semi-finals last season, takes charge at Watford following the resignation of Italian manager Beppe Sannino on Sunday. The club said on their website (www.watfordfc.com) they beat "several high-profile English clubs" to secure Garcia's services. Garcia, who also played for Valencia and Espanyol after beginning his playing career at Barca, left his most recent managerial role at Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv last week because of concerns about the current security situation in the country. It was his second spell at the club, having previously led Maccabi into the Champions League in 2013 after a title win. He takes over at Watford with the team currently lying second in the table after five matches of the season. (Reporting By Sam Holden; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)