By Ola Kay
Following unresolved internal tensions, Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has been relieved of his appointment after 21 months in charge of the club and just three games into the season.
The fate of the Portuguese coach became sealed stwo weeks since he publicly declared his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.
Already, deliberations are on over Nuno’s replacement, with an appointment imminent and former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou a contender.
Forest thanked 51-year-old Nuno “for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, ” quoting a statement released after midnight,
It added that he would “always hold a special place” in their journey.
Nuno took charge of Forest in December 2023 after the dismissal of Steve Cooper and helped them preserve their top-flight status.
Part of his successes included the fact that last term he guided the club to seventh in the Premier League – their highest finish since 1994-95 – as they qualified for Europe for the first time in three decades.
This led to his signing a new three-year deal in June.
Nottingham Forest currently sit 10th in the table after suffering a 3-0 home defeat by West Ham before September’s international break.
Frosty
Frosty Relationship with Marinakis force Nuno out
Despite the club’s success on the pitch during Nuno’s time as manager, his relationship with Marinakis became increasingly strained. In August, Nuno revealed he feared for his job.
BBC Sport. reports that internal tensions at the club were believed to centre around disagreements over their transfer business.
Previously, Nuno had criticised the club’s activity in the summer transfer window, saying they had wasted a good chance.
Edu was appointed as Forest’s global head of football earlier in the summer and has taken firm control over the club’s recruitment operation.
“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.
“Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together but this is not the reality.”
In total, Forest have made 13 signings for about £196m based on reported initial fees.
As for the outgoings, Anthony Elanga, Danilo and Wayne Hennessey were all among the players whose Forest careers ended this window.
In May last season, Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw against Leicester at the City Ground.
Forest later said the incident was because of the owner’s frustration that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play following an 88th-minute injury, which subsequently required what was described as “urgent” surgery.
The club said there was “no confrontation” and it was “fake news” to suggest otherwise.
However, those missed points against an already-relegated side were part of a run that saw Forest – who had been in contention for Champions League qualification – only pick up eight points from their last eight matches of the 2024-25 campaign.
They qualified for the Conference League but were moved into the Europa League for 2025-26 at Crystal Palace’s expense after the Eagles were deemed to be in breach of multi-club ownership rules.
About The Author
