Nottingham Forest Sacks Nuno Espírito Santo With Immediate Effect

‎Nuno Espirito Santo is set to leave his position as Nottingham Forest head coach, with the club expected to confirm he has been relieved of his duties.

‎The decision follows his admission that his relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had changed and that they were “not so close” anymore at a pre-match news conference on August 22.

‎Marinakis countered later, stating on August 29 that Nuno was the right person for the job. The club’s impending announcement is anticipated to formalize his departure.

‎”I have always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very, very close, almost daily,” Nuno told a press conference. “This season, not so well.”

‎Sportxparte reported on August 22 that there was a potentially irreparable rift between Nuno and Edu, who had been appointed global head of football at the start of July after leaving Arsenal last November.

‎Nuno Espirito Santo had been appointed Nottingham Forest head coach in December 2023 and led the club to European qualification in his first full season. Forest finished seventh in the Premier League in the 2024-25 campaign, after spending significant time in third position.

‎The report suggests tensions between Nuno and Edu amid ongoing turmoil at the club.

‎However, he voiced his concern over the club’s preparations for the 2025-26 campaign ahead of their first game of the season, stating Forest had a “major problem” and were “very, very far from where we should be”.

‎Nuno’s Effect On Forest Since Joining

‎Forest were 17th in the Premier League following a run of just one win in 13 matches when Nuno was appointed Steve Cooper’s successor in December 2023.

‎They finished the season in 17th, one place and six points above the relegation zone, after being handed a four-point deduction following a breach of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

‎Forest accumulated 65 points in the following campaign, more than double their 32-point tally from 2023-24, and finished just six points behind third-placed Manchester City.

‎Although they missed out on a top-five finish that would have guaranteed Champions League qualification, they still secured European football by clinching a Europa League place.

‎This came after Crystal Palace were demoted to the Conference League for the first time since 1995-96.

‎Nottingham Forest have picked up four points from their opening three matches this season, but most recently suffered a 3-0 defeat to West Ham.