Summary:
- Nottingham Forest dismissed Nuno after weeks of public tension with co-owner Evangelos Marinakis.
- The coach had openly criticized the club’s transfer strategy, calling the squad “unbalanced.”
- Edu Gaspar and Ross Wilson will lead the search for a new head coach, with several candidates admired.
Nottingham Forest have parted ways with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, bringing an end to a turbulent tenure that had grown increasingly tense behind the scenes.
The decision was announced just after midnight on Tuesday.
Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach
Forest also thanked him for “a very successful era at the City Ground”, highlighting his role in last season’s Europa League run.
The dismissal comes only weeks after Nuno publicly acknowledged his strained relationship with co-owner Evangelos Marinakis. Back in August, the 51-year-old born in the islands of Sao Tome and Principe, admitted things were “not the same” and “not so good as it was [last season]”.
His frustration stemmed largely from the club’s transfer activity, which led to his open criticism regarding the recruitment strategy. Nuno went as far as to call the squad “unbalanced” and “very, very far” from being ready for the campaign.
No Reconciliation on the Horizon
According to Sky Sports News sources, Marinakis did not take those remarks well at all, especially as they came twice in quick succession. While talks of a reconciliation were on the table, in the end, the Greek owner felt a fresh start was the only way forward.
Edu Gaspar, recently brought in from Arsenal as Marinakis’ right-hand man, and chief football officer Ross Wilson will now be responsible for overseeing the process of appointing a successor.
There is no immediate replacement lined up, but Forest are expected to act quickly. Offshore Bookmakers have the following admired by the club include Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino, and Fulham’s Marco Silva.
Nuno: “I Said It, and I Don’t Regret It”
Nuno’s exit concludes a short but rather dramatic chapter that brought Forest four points from the opening three league matches and a damaging 3-0 home defeat to West Ham on August 31, his final game in charge.
Just days earlier, Nuno had insisted “I said it, and I don’t regret it” when asked about his public criticism of the board. He had also underlined the need for “the same vision and same commitment” across the club.
The breakdown was gradual. After initially enjoying a strong relationship with Marinakis, Nuno admitted:
This season, not so well. No, it’s not [good]. … The reality is that it is not what it used to be.
Up next, Forest will meet Arsenal away on Saturday, as their first test in the post-Nuno era.