Javi Gracia Breaks Silence on Watford Exit as Manager Expresses 'Surprise' at Exit

Javi Gracia has said he is 'surprised' at the club's decision to terminate his contract earlier this weekend, but says the decision won't taint his relationship with the club or the fans.

Watford's announcement that they had parted company with Gracia and replaced him with Quique Sanchez Flores seemed to come out of the blue amid the lull of an international break, after they had brought a run of three successive defeats to an end with a Carabao Cup victory over Coventry and a battling draw at Newcastle.

However, despite coming off the back of an historic 11th-placed finish in the Premier League and an FA Cup final, the board were reportedly concerned about the mood in the dressing room, and…