Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has been sacked after 21 months in charge – and just three games into the season.
The position of the Portuguese coach had been uncertain for two weeks since he publicly declared his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.
Talks are under way over Nuno’s replacement, with an appointment imminent and former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou a contender.
In a statement released after midnight, Forest thanked Nuno “for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground” and said he would “always hold a special place” in their journey.
The 51-year-old took charge of Forest in December 2023 after the dismissal of Steve Cooper and helped them preserve their top-flight status.
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.
His success saw him sign a new three-year deal in June.
Forest currently sit 10th in the table after suffering a 3-0 home defeat by West Ham before September’s international break.
Internal tensions 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.
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.
From the brink of the drop to Europe
Nuno became Forest manager in December 2023, with the club 17th in the Premier League and having lost five of their previous six games.
Despite Forest having four points deducted for a breach of Premier League profit and sustainability rules, Nuno still managed to keep them up with them finishing 17th, six points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town.
He won six league matches in the rest of 2023-24, including two of his first three games in charge: 3-1 away at Newcastle and then 2-1 at home to Manchester United.
But in the following campaign he took the club to seventh in the Premier League to ensure European football returned to the City Ground for the first time since 1996.
A memorable campaign saw Forest take four points off champions Liverpool, including a 1-0 win at Anfield in August 2024, and Forest also beat Manchester United home and away, and won 1-0 at home to Manchester City.
Forest also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, before losing 2-0 to Manchester City at Wembley.
Nuno was in charge of Forest for 73 games, winning 28, drawing 20 with 25 defeats.
‘He leaves beloved by Forest fans’ – analysis
In just under two years Nuno Espírito Santo guided Nottingham Forest from a relegation battle back into Europe for the first time in 30 years.
He leaves beloved by the Forest fans but after a clear breakdown in relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis.
He created a siege mentality which served Forest well and, despite both being big characters, it appeared a perfect match between him and Marinakis.
Last season’s shock European challenge ended in missing out on the Champions League on the final day, a finish which may now have been crucial to Nuno’s future.
Forest still finished seventh and reached the Europa League – being promoted to the competition after Crystal Palace’s demotion – but for Nuno they did not prepare quick enough this summer.
Successive swipes in press conferences about the club’s slow movement in the transfer market included the revelation his relationship with Marinakis had changed.
It was a shock given how guarded the Portuguese usually is.
Forest spent more than £180m this summer but Nuno was unhappy with being unable to integrate new players quickly enough.
Suggestions of a rift with Edu, Forest’s global sporting director, lingered and the 3-0 defeat by West Ham last week was the worst performance of his reign, coming before talks with Marinakis about the club’s future direction following his comments.
Nuno said, although not entirely convincingly, he expected to be in charge for Saturday’s trip to Arsenal after the international break, but Forest’s future is now without him.
A search for his replacement is not expected to be a lengthy one with ex-Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou previously linked.
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