Javi Gracia resigns as Watford head coach
The club say they're sad and disappointed by the decision
Last updated 5 hours ago
Javi Gracia has resigned as head coach of Watford.
The football club are currently 10th in the Championship table.
A Watford FC spokesperson said:
"The club is sad and disappointed to confirm the resignation of Javi Gracia as Head Coach.
"We retain the belief Javi was the right man to lead the club towards its push for promotion, but Javi felt he no longer had the motivation and was not the right man to continue coaching this exciting group of young players.
"We respect his decision and accept his wish to leave Vicarage Road with immediate effect.
"Charlie Daniels, Dan Gosling and Adrian Mariappa will take charge of the team against Hull City on Tuesday night. We remain well placed in the Championship, four points off the play-offs with a game in hand and 17 matches remaining.
"Everybody at the club believes wholeheartedly this is a squad capable of challenging for promotion.
"We would like to thank Javi and his team for their work during two spells at the club. We wish him and his family the best and they will always receive the warmest of welcomes at Watford."
After seeing his side fail to win for a fourth successive Championship game, falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Swansea yesterday, Gracia raised questions about his future at the club by insisting he wants to speak to the Watford owners at the earliest opportunity.
Gracia said: "I know that my job is to prepare the players during this busy schedule. It's a demanding league. Some players are injured and we don't have many other options playing.
"We try to manage this situation, but what we are doing on the pitch and off the pitch at the moment is not enough.
"I want to speak to the owners about everything, what is happening in the future, everything. We have to know clearly where we are going.
"I want to speak to them today if I can. I think that you have to do things as soon as possible.
"After Swansea scored the first goal, we did not have any more power to continue doing the same things as we had.
"We are in a very difficult moment. The last results speak about the team. There are moments in games when we are competing well, but we are not consistent enough to get the results that we want.
"At this moment I am really, really disappointed and I only want to speak with the owners to know how they feel in this moment because I am really disappointed with the level of the team and the situation of the team. And the future of the team as well. That is something I want to speak about.
"We are not as optimistic as we were with the atmosphere in the team now. This moment something has to change."
Watford's next match is a 7.45pm kick off away at Hull City on Tuesday 3rd February 2026.