Quique Sanchez Flores will leave Watford after a disappointing season

Flores was hired by Watford a year ago after they were promoted to the Premier League, and he and the Hornets got off to a roaring start to the season. At Christmastime, they were challenging for a top-four spot in the EPL, a place far above where many thought the smaller club could manage. They looked like they fully deserved their place, though, and they peaked at seventh place. With a 3-0 win against Liverpool on Dec. 20, they found themselves within three points of a then-crowded top end of the EPL table.

Fast forward to last weekend, however, and a 2-0 loss to that same Liverpool side saw Watford slump to 13th in the table, admittedly slightly higher than their season low of 15th place. Flores and company have won just four league matches since then, struggling badly down the second half of the season. Not even an impressive run in the FA Cup that saw Watford beat Arsenal could save Flores, thanks largely to a listless semifinal performance against a Crystal Palace side that they’d beaten two months prior.

What comes next for Flores is unknown, though a return to La Liga could be in order as he experienced his greatest successes with Atletico Madrid and Valencia earlier in his career. As for Watford, it’s been rumored that they will turn to veteran Italian manager Walter Mazzarri, a move that would make sense considering that he is liked by the Pozzo family that owns the club, and he has long coveted a job in the EPL. Watford fans would just hope that he can bring improvement to their club, and perhaps see them challenge for a top-half spot in the league instead of settling for safety.

Chelsea have apparently changed their minds on keeping John Terry, and have offered him a new one-year contract. (Guardian)

Arsene Wenger has flatly denied that Arsenal have offered him a new contract. (ESPN FC)

Abnormal betting patterns has La Liga investigating Rayo Vallecano for potential match-fixing. (AS)

Robert Lewandowski wants to score this weekend to break the 30-goal barrier for Bayern Munich. (bundesliga.de)

Fraser Forster and James Ward-Prowse have both signed new, long-term contracts at Southampton. (BBC)

Speaking of Southampton, Ronald Koeman has announced that he intends on staying there next season. (Sky Sports)

Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri insists he has “no regrets” over his team’s second-half slide that cost them a shot at the Serie A title. (Football Italia)

If you believe betting lines, it looks like Roy Keane is the new favorite to take over as manager of Celtic in Scotland. (Daily Record)

Braney Ronay feels that Jack Wilshere gets a lot more grief and disdain than he deserves. (Guardian)

Matt Gault examines the career of Sir Matt Busby, who turned Manchester United into a powerhouse long before Sir Alex Ferguson did. (These Football Times)

Carrie Dunn looks at how the Women’s FA Cup final has finally earned the place of pride and attention that it deserves. (Unusual Efforts)

Championship: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (2:45 p.m.): The Championship promotion playoffs are getting underway, with two perennial didn’t-quite-make-it teams squaring off hoping to make the most of their chance to shine.

MLS: DC United vs. New York Red Bulls (7 p.m.): DCU are struggling, while New York have found some kind of decent form -- but this is the kind of matchup that can easily see form flip around, especially with United playing at home.

With the European leagues wrapping up this weekend, here’s a few important matches to keep an eye on:

Championship: Derby County vs. Hull City (Saturday, 7:30 a.m.): The other Championship promotion playoff, featuring a Hull side that was relegated last year and a Derby side that keeps falling short of promotion at the last minute.

La Liga: Granada vs. Barcelona / Deportivo La Coruña vs. Real Madrid (Saturday, 11 a.m.): The outcome of these two matches will decide who wins La Liga. If Barcelona wins, the league is theirs -- but a draw or loss, and a win for Real Madrid would see their archrivals take the throne on the final matchday of the season.

Serie A: Napoli vs. Frosinone / Milan vs. Roma (Saturday, 2:45 p.m.): The battle for second place in Serie A still hasn’t been decided, and if Napoli so much as draw in their season finale, Roma can come back and steal that last guaranteed Champions League group stage spot from them with a win.

EPL: Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur / Arsenal vs. Aston Villa (Sunday, 10 a.m.): Tottenham already lost in the title race, but if they lose to Newcastle they open up the possibility of being overtaken for second place by archrivals Arsenal.

EPL: Swansea City vs. Manchester City / Manchester United vs. AFC Bournemouth (Sunday, 10 a.m.): Neither side of Manchester has exactly impressed of late, but if United beat Bournemouth, they have a chance to finish in the top four and a Champions League place -- but only if City lose to Swansea.