Javi Gracia pinpoints the exact moment that cost him his job at Leeds United — Leeds United News 12/10/25
Robert McHugh
Former Leeds United manager Javi Gracia has opened up on his
departure from Leeds United after accepting his first job since leaving the
club.
Javi Gracia was parachuted in to attempt to save Leeds from
relegation in the 2022/23 season after Jesse Marsch left his role as head
coach.
Despite a promising start to life with Leeds in the Premier
League, the wheels came off spectacularly under Gracia, culminating in a 4-1
defeat away at Bournemouth, which saw him leave the club before the end of the
season.
Leeds sent an SOS to Sam Allardyce, who oversaw the Whites’
eventual relegation, but it remains a mystery as to why things came apart so
quickly under Gracia.
Now, the former Leeds boss has revealed the moment that he
believes cost him his job with the club, three years on from his departure.
Javi Gracia opens up on his Leeds United exit
Gracia is now back in management, after accepting an offer
to return to Watford in the Championship, having guided them to an FA Cup final
before joining Leeds.
Speaking to Troy Deeney in an interview for Watford’s club
media, Gracia pinpointed the moment he believes could have turned things around
as his spell at Leeds spiralled out of control.
Asked what he has learned from his time at Leeds: “I try to
manage always more or less the same. Not the same, but I try to manage the same
way. Working hard, being dedicated, and trying to live the moment with passion,
with desire, all these kinds of things.
“But after, you know, the results don’t always depend on
these kinds of things. You know, sometimes they depend on [luck].
“And I remember at Leeds, when you say Leeds, Patrick
Bamford is a very good player, very good person.
“He had a chance in one game in the far post to score in the
last minute, playing at home and in the end, you know, centimetres to go in, go
out, two points more, change the dynamics.”
Things had already started to go wrong before Patrick
Bamford’s miss
Although he does not specifically name the incident, it is
safe to assume that Gracia is referring to a miss by Patrick Bamford against
Leicester in a crucial game.
With the scores locked at 1-1 in the dying moments of the
game, a Leeds corner finds Bamford unmarked at the back post, three yards from
goal. However, he fails to connect cleanly with the ball, scuffing his shot
wide and forcing Leeds to settle for a draw.
Although a win would have certainly lifted Leeds’ spirits
and handed them two valuable points in the race for survival, the cracks had
already begun to show in Gracia’s reign.
Heading into the game, Leeds had conceded 17 goals in four
games, which included four second-half goals in the inexplicable collapse
against Crystal Palace, which saw Leeds go from leading 1-0 on the verge of
half-time to a humiliating 5-1 defeat.
