Watford Sack Javi Gracia and appoint Quique Sánchez Flores as manager

Gracia who was appointed as Watford manager midway through the 2017-18 season on 21 January 2018 has been sacked following a poor start to the Premier League season.

Watford currently sits bottom of the league with just one point from four games. Watford lost to Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and have drawn against Newcastle United so far this season.

The 49-year-old Spaniard’s only victory this season game against Sky Bet League One side Coventry in the EFL Cup.

Some fans feel the club should have given him more time as he guided Watford to their best-ever finish, Premier League, last season as they finished 11th.

He also guided them to their second ever FA Cup final last season where they lost 6-0 to Manchester City.

Watford has conceded 8 goals in Premier League while only scoring two from the first four matchdays.

Javi Gracia has a record of 25 wins, 13 loses from 66 games in charge of the Hornets.

Club statement read

Javi has represented Watford with great dignity and will always be deserving of our fullest respect for his achievements.
 
Javi Gracia’s staff will also be leaving the club, ahead of the imminent appointment of a new coaching team.
 
Everyone at the Hornets wishes Javi and his staff all the very best for the future, and they will always be welcome visitors in the future at Vicarage Road.

New Watford Manager

Former manager Quique Sánchez Flores, who left the club in May 2016 is rehired as the new manager.

Quique Sánchez Flores guided Watford to a comfortable mid-table finish during the 2015/16 campaign and also helped them reach semi-finals of the FA Cup that season.

After leaving Watford he returned to La Liga to work as manager of Espanyol and in December 2018 he joined the Chinese Super League side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

He left the Chinese Super League in July this year and has been without a club since.

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