September 09, (THEWILL) — Nottingham Forest have dismissed head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, following mounting tensions at the club, with the Portuguese manager relieved of his duties on Tuesday. The decision comes after Nuno publicly acknowledged that his relationship with owner, Evangelos Marinakis, had deteriorated significantly this season, stating the pair were no longer close after previously maintaining daily contact.
The 50-year-old’s departure stems from a dispute with Edu, Forest’s newly-appointed global head of football, who joined from Arsenal in July. Nuno had expressed serious concerns about the club’s squad preparations ahead of the current campaign, describing the situation as a major problem and suggesting Forest were far from where they needed to be competitively.
Despite the recent turmoil, Nuno’s time at the City Ground proved transformative for the club’s fortunes. After taking charge in December 2023 with Forest sitting 17th in the English Premier League, he guided them to a remarkable seventh-place finish last season, accumulating 65 points compared to just 32 the previous campaign.
The Portuguese coach’s greatest achievement was securing European qualification for Forest, earning a UEFA Europa League spot for the first time since 1995/1996. His side finished merely six points behind third-placed Manchester City, though they narrowly missed UEFA Champions League qualification after spending considerable time in third position during the season.
Forest’s current campaign has started poorly under Nuno’s guidance, collecting just four points from three matches including a recent 3-0 defeat to West Ham. The club thanked Nuno for his contribution during what they described as a very successful period, particularly acknowledging his pivotal role in last season’s achievements that will be remembered fondly in Forest’s history.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
