Overview

• Watford confirmed on Wednesday that Paulo Pezzolano has departed and Javi Gracia has returned for a second spell as head coach.
• Pezzolano, appointed on May 13, oversaw 10 competitive matches with three wins, a tenure ranked as the club’s third shortest.
• The Hornets sit 11th in the Championship after taking seven points from their last three league games, three points off the play-off places.
• Sky Sports and talkSPORT report the board felt Pezzolano had lost the dressing room, with player fallouts and unclear tactical communication cited, alongside recent supporter unrest.
• The change continues a long-running pattern of rapid managerial turnover under the Pozzo ownership, with more than 20 different managers since 2012; Gracia’s first game back is scheduled at Sheffield United on October 18.