Watford reappoint Quique Sanchez Flores as manager to replace sacked Javi Gracia

The club have moved decisively to resurrect their form after making a winless start to the Premier League season under Gracia, a continuation of their slump at the close of the last campaign

Quique Sanchez Flores is back in the Premier League (Getty)

Watford have reappointed Quique Sanchez Flores as manager after sacking his fellow Spaniard Javi Gracia. Sanchez Flores returns to the post he held in 2015-16 which he left following differences with the boardroom in the summer.

The club have moved decisively to resurrect their form after making a winless start to the Premier League season under Gracia, a continuation of their slump at the close of the last campaign.

Gracia led the side to the FA Cup final last season, but they were thrashed by Manchester City at Wembley after their league form had dropped off dramatically in the build-up. They have only one point from their first four Premier League games this season, having lost to Everton, Brighton and West Ham United before earning a draw against Newcastle.

Sanchez Flores, who has been out of work for two months, was widely considered to have made a success of his short stint at Vicarage Road, guiding Watford to a mid-table finish in their first season back in the top flight and reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

He departed for Espanyol, whom he led to an eighth-place finish in La Liga, before most recently undertaking a role in China in charge of Shanghai Shenhua.

It is the 10th managerial change since the Pozzo family took ownership of Watford in 2012. Chairman Scott Duxbury said: “Javi has represented Watford with great dignity and will always be deserving of our fullest respect for his achievements.”

Gracia’s backroom staff have also left the club.