Just three games into the new season, Nottingham Forest have dismissed head coach Nuno Espírito Santo, thereby terminating his 21-month stint at the City Ground.
Soon after midnight, the club released a short statement thanking the Portuguese coach for his efforts during what they called a significant chapter in their current history.
Nuno had been named in December 2023 in response to Steve Cooper’s exit to lead a club struggling around the relegation zone. In his first weeks, he quickly made an impression supervising amazing victories against Newcastle and Manchester United.
Though he had a four-point penalty in March 2023 for violating Premier League sustainability guidelines, he steered Forest to safety, thereby ensuring their spot in the top flight.
His first full season showed both amazing advancement and unexpected outcomes. Forest surprised Liverpool at Anfield in September 2024, causing Arne Slot’s lone home loss of that season. Nuno’s soldiers were soaring by December, finishing the year in third.
Their largest league victory since 1991 came when they went on to record a 70 Brighton demolition in February 2025. Although their form changed toward the conclusion of the season, Forest came seventh to get European football for the first time in more than three decades.
The News Chronicle learnt that over the summer, tensions between Nuno and club owner Evangelos Marinakis had been brewing before eventually erupting. Nuno said openly in August 2025 that his relationship with the owner had “changed” and was “not good,” a highly frank statement that sparked questions about his future. Insiders argue that results on the field were as important in his expulsion as this breakdown in communication was.
Three months after signing a new three-year deal, Nuno discovers he is out of work. Though his departure comes as a surprise, given the advancement made under his guidance, it emphasizes the erratic nature of Premier League football, where success is often overlooked behind-the-scenes conflicts for influence.
Hoping to build on the groundwork established by a manager who brought them back into European Disagreement following decades spent in the bush.
