Nuno Espirito Santo sacked by Nottingham Forest weeks after fallout with Edu

Nuno Espirito Santo has left his position as Nottingham Forest head coach, as the club confirmed he had been relieved of his duties on Tuesday.

The Athletic reported earlier in the evening that he was set to leave, before the club released a statement confirming his departure “following recent circumstances” later on.

The decision comes after Nuno said his relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had changed and the two were “not so close” anymore at a pre-match news conference on August 22. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis then said, however, that Nuno was the right person for the job on August 29.

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

The Athletic reported later on August 22 that there was a potentially irreparable rift between Nuno and Edu, newly-appointed as global head of football at the start of July following his exit from Arsenal last November.

Nuno was appointed Forest head coach in December 2023 and led the club to qualification for Europe during his first full season in charge. Forest finished seventh in the Premier League during the 2024-25 campaign, having spent significant time in third position.

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”.

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).

The following campaign, Nuno’s side picked up 65 points, more than double their tally (32) from 2023-24, and finished just six points behind third-place Manchester City. Despite missing out on a top-five finish which would have secured qualification for the Champions League, Forest did clinch a return to European football — with a place in the Europa League, following Crystal Palace’s demotion to the Conference League — for the first time since 1995-96.

The full statement from the club, posted on their social media, read: “Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as Head Coach.

“The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at The City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the Club. As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey.”

Forest have collected four points in three games so far this season, most recently losing 3-0 to West Ham.

(Top photo: Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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