Paulo Pezzolano was sacked by Watford because he resisted pressure to select players who have a connection to the agent Arnaud Mogi Bayat, it has been claimed, although this has been denied by sources at the Championship club.

Pezzolano and his technical team were dismissed on Wednesday after five months and 10 matches, with Javi Gracia installed for his second spell. It is understood Pezzolano and his staff were surprised and dismayed, having secured successive league victories at Vicarage Road after a slow start to the season.

Sources close to Pezzolano have alleged that his reluctance in his final three weeks to select players linked to Bayat resulted in him becoming the 11th manager Watford have moved on since the start of 2020. The players are understood to include the former France midfielder Moussa Sissoko, who is represented by Bayat’s agency, and the Danish forward Luca Kjerrumgaard and Belgian forward Pierre Dwomoh, who joined in the summer in deals brokered by Bayat.

It is understood Pezzolano was never directly told he must select certain players, but sources close to the Uruguayan have told the Guardian that he and his staff were regularly questioned by senior executives, including the sporting...