Watford Appoints Former Malaga Manager Javi Gracia on 18-Month Contract
Watford have announced that former Malaga boss Javi Gracia from Marco Silva at the head of the club after Silva's departure on Sunday.
Silva's departure was announced just eight hours before Gracia officially took the reins at Vicarage Road, the 47-year-old signing a contract to the end of the 2018/19 season.
The Pamplona-born manager had a reasonably successful playing career, racking up over 100 league appearances for Real Sociedad and playing across Spain before going into management, taking jobs in Spain's lower leagues before heading out to Greece for a year-long spell with Olympiacos Volou.
His most successful spell came in charge of Malaga for two seasons between 2014 and 2016, bagging back-to-back top-half finishes before leaving to take charge of Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan.
The experienced manager will be looking to bring to Vicarage Road the same solidarity he brought as a hard-fighting defensive midfielder on the pitch, with the Hornets picking up just five points out of a possible 33 in their last 11 league games.
