Alessio Dionisi at Watford denies sacking rumors and apologizes to Elton John

Alessio Dionisi, Watford’s head coach, pushed back on reports of a sacking, saying it was “fake news”, and also apologized to Elton John after the singer reacted to the club’s slump. The Italian’s comments came after a week of mounting pressure: John had posted and then deleted an admission that he was “upset” about the decline, following a 4-0 home loss to Burnley and a 5-1 defeat to Cardiff on Tuesday.

In an interview with the BBC, Dionisi said he doesn’t control sackings and addressed the apology directly: “For Elton John, I am sorry because I don’t know him.” He added that inside the training ground there is only one mindset for everyone.

The backdrop is a run of poor results and frequent managerial turnover. Watford have made four managerial appointments in 2026, after the Pozzo family took over in the summer of 2012. Despite the noise around his future, Dionisi remains in his role, with the Hornets set to host Charlton Athletic this Saturday, after incorrect reports claimed he had been dismissed during the Cardiff game.