Javier "Javi" Gracia Carlos is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder.
20 Facts About Javi Gracia
2.
Javi Gracia totalled 430 matches across both major levels of Spanish football, in a 15-year professional career.
3.
In February 2003, after being scarcely played in his last one and a half seasons at Villarreal, the 32-year-old Javi Gracia joined Cordoba CF in the second level, closing out his career in June of the following year.
4.
Javi Gracia appeared in 229 Spanish top-tier games over the course of nine seasons, netting 17 goals.
5.
In June 2011, Javi Gracia was hired by Olympiacos Volos FC, who had finished fifth in the Super League Greece.
6.
Javi Gracia debuted with the first European fixtures of his managerial career, eliminating FK Rad and FC Differdange 03 from the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, but the team were then expelled from the top flight and European competition due to their alleged involvement in the Koriopolis match-fixing scandal.
7.
Javi Gracia took the Corfu-based club to the last eight of the national cup, where they lost by a single goal at Asteras Tripolis FC.
8.
Javi Gracia returned to his country in June 2012, being hired by UD Almeria.
9.
Javi Gracia led the team back to the top flight in his one season, but left after failing to agree new terms.
10.
On 4 September 2013, Javi Gracia was appointed at his hometown club CA Osasuna on a two-year deal, replacing the fired Jose Luis Mendilibar.
11.
Javi Gracia was named the new manager of Malaga CF on 30 May 2014.
12.
On 21 January 2018, Javi Gracia was named the new head coach of Watford on an 18-month contract following the dismissal of Marco Silva.
13.
Javi Gracia was sacked on 7 September 2019, after a poor start to the season saw them bottom with just one point.
14.
Javi Gracia returned to Spain's top division on 27 July 2020, agreeing to a two-year deal at Valencia CF.
15.
On 7 December 2021, Javi Gracia was hired by Al Sadd SC in the Qatar Stars League, after his compatriot Xavi had left for Barcelona; he signed until 2023 with the option of one more year.
16.
Javi Gracia then left and was replaced by a third Spaniard, Juan Manuel Lillo.
17.
On 21 February 2023, Javi Gracia returned to England and its top flight after replacing the sacked Jesse Marsch at the helm of Leeds United.
18.
Javi Gracia was sacked on 3 May 2023, leaving the side 17th on the table with four fixtures remaining.
19.
Javi Gracia defended his record, noting that he had taken the team out of the relegation zone and had earned more points in his 11 games than four clubs around them.
20.
Javi Gracia is married with three sons, two of whom are twins.