Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Nottingham Forest early yesterday, becoming the first English Premier League head coach this season to lose his job.
“The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era,” a club statement released just after midnight said.
The Portuguese had been in charge for 21 months at the City Ground, but two weeks ago said his relationship with the club’s owner, Greek billionaire Evangelos Marinakis, had deteriorated.
Photo: AFP
“Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach,” the statement said.
The 51-year-old took charge in December 2023 after Steve Cooper was sacked and went on to save the club from relegation.
Last season the club finished seventh in the Premier League, their highest finish since 1994-1995.
That secured a first European berth in 30 years, with a UEFA Europa League place handed to Forest instead of their initial UEFA Conference League spot after Crystal Palace’s demotion for breaching multi-club ownership rules.
“The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024-2025 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club,” the statement said. “As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey.”
Forest sit 10th in the Premier League on four points after three games, but were soundly beaten 3-0 by struggling West Ham United in Nuno’s last match in charge.
British media reported that talks had begun to appoint a successor quickly, with former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou said to be among the candidates along with Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.
Cracks between the owner and head coach began to show in May last season, when Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw against Leicester City at the City Ground in Nottingham.
Forest later said the owner was frustrated that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play following an 88th-minute injury, but added that there was “no confrontation” and to suggest otherwise was “fake news.”
Nuno, who also managed Tottenham in 2021, was publicly critical of Forest’s transfer activity since the end of last season, which reportedly did not go down well with Marinakis.
Forest brought in 13 players as new sporting director Edu Gaspar took a more hands-on role in signings, but they let several others go, including Anthony Elanga, Danilo and Wayne Hennessey, leaving Nuno to complain his side had become “unbalanced.”
“I always had a very good relationship with the owner. Last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well,” Nuno said last month of his dealings with Marinakis.
“Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together, but this is not the reality,” he said.
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