Nottingham Forest sacks Nuno Santo

Nottingham Forest announced in the early hours of Tuesday the dismissal of Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo, making him the first manager to be sacked in the Premier League for the 2025-26 season, after a 21-month tenure.

The club’s statement read: “Nottingham Forest can confirm that Nuno Espirito Santo has been relieved of his duties as manager due to recent circumstances. The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era, particularly his role in the 2024-25 season, which will remain etched in the club’s history.”

Nuno, 51, took over as Forest manager in December 2023, succeeding Steve Cooper, and successfully saved the team from relegation.

Last season, he led the team to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League, the club’s best finish since the 1994-95 season, securing their first European berth in 30 years in the Europa League, after Crystal Palace were disqualified for breaching UEFA’s multiple ownership rules.

The statement added: “Nuno played a significant role in our success last season and will always hold a special place in our journey.”

However, Nuno’s relationship with the club’s owner, Greek billionaire Evangelos Marinakis, has deteriorated recently, contributing to his dismissal.

Nottingham Forest currently sits tenth in the league with four points from three matches, but their recent 3-0 defeat to West Ham hastened Nuno’s departure.

British media reports indicate that the club has begun immediate talks to appoint a new coach, with Australian Ange Postecoglou, the former Tottenham manager, at the top of the list, along with Austrian Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace manager) and Spaniard Andoni Iraiola (Bournemouth manager).