Table of Contents
- English Premier League club Nottingham Forest have parted ways with manager Nuno Espirito Santo after 21 months
- Nuno wanted a meeting with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis but the two never had a chance to sit on the same table as the Greek billionaire decided to sack the manager
English Premier League club Nottingham Forest have parted ways with manager Nuno Espirito Santo after 21 months. Nuno, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, publicly declared two weeks ago that his relationship with Nottingham co-owner Evangelos Marinakis was seriously flawed.
Marinakishas spent the p ast one week weighing if his relationship with the Portuguese coach can be restored before eventually deciding to sack him. Sky Sports reports that Marinakis was deeply hurt and left furious after Nuno went to speak to the media against him and the club two times in the span of one week.
ALSO READ: Ola Aina extends his stay at Nottingham Forest until 2028
The Portuguese manager said in the second news conference that things had gotten worse between him and Marinakis following the arrival of former technical director of Arsenal Edu Gaspar at the club. Edu is currently Marinakis’ right hand man and also head of global football at Nottingham.
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno Espirito in May. Photo/ Sky Sports.
Nuno wanted a meeting with Marikinas but the two never had a chance to sit on the same table as the Greek billionaire decided to sack the manager, according to Sky Sports News. Marinakis felt that relieving Nuno off his duties was the best way to move the team forward. He appeared to confront the manager in May last season following Nottingham’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City at City Ground.
The confrontation caught the attention of the media and football fans and Forest later explained that the incident was because of Marinakis frustration caused by the manager letting Taiwo Awoniyi to continue playing despite sustaining an injury in the 88th minute.
“Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach. The club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club.” Nottingham Forest posted on their website.
Nuno Espirito Santo At Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo took charge of Nottingham Forest in December 2023 following the sacking of head coach Steve Cooper. The Welshman had guided Nottingham from the Championship the previous season but was having a difficult time in the Premier League. The club was seventeenth on the Premier League standings and just five points above the relegation zone.
ALSO READ: Most expensive transfers of the 2025 summer transfer window
However, Nuno ensured that Nottingham was far from relegation on the final day of the season, hence avoiding demotion to the second division of English football. The Portuguese manager also did an impressive job last season, guiding the team to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League. This was Nottingham’s highest finish in the Premier League since the 1994-95 season and it earned them a spot in this season’s UEFA Europa League.
Nuno Espirito has been sacked by Nottingham Forest. He took charge of the club in December 2023 and led them for 21 months. Photo/ Sky News.
Nuno’s success at the club earned him a new three-year deal in June 2025. Nottingham currently sit tenth on the Premier League standings with four points after one win, one draw and a loss in their first three games of the 2025-26 season. The Reds thumped Brentford 3-1 in the opening fixture of the season, before being held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace and then losing 3-0 to Graham Potter’s West Ham United before the international break.
Despite Nottingham’s achieving success on the pitch with Nuno in charge, internal tensions between the manager and his bosses had led to his sacking.
