Nuno Espirito Santo sacked as Nottingham Forest boss | Football

Nuno Espirito Santo has left his position as Nottingham Forest head coach after being relieved of his duties at the City Ground, according to widespread reports.

The Portuguese was involved in a heated on-field clash with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis towards the end of last season and the pair’s relationship has deteriorated beyond repair in recent weeks.

While Forest got the new campaign off to a strong start with a 3-1 defeat of Brentford, Nuno admitted after the win that there had been a major breakdown in communication with Marinakis and they were ‘not as close’ anymore.

The 51-year-old also publicly questioned Forest’s recruitment process in the summer transfer window, saying he felt ill-equipped to lead the club into European football.

‘This season is different, and then doubts and questions come in. As human beings we can sort problems but we can’t solve doubts,’ Nuno told reporters last month.

‘There are players here who know they are going out on loan. Our pre-season was very, very bad. We didn’t win one game and scored one goal.

‘You think I’m going to be happy and comfortable here, thinking of that with the expectation?

‘The players are not supermen, we are going to need to rotate them.

‘That’s a major problem with the intensity and demands of the games.’

Nuno signed a new contract with Forest less than three months ago, tying him to the club until 2028.

The ex-Tottenham and Wolves boss becomes the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season, though, and his dismissal leaves Forest in a state of disarray ahead of their return to action at Arsenal this weekend.

The Reds have picked up four points from their three opening games and sit tenth in the table ahead of their trip to the Emirates.

In his final interview in charge of Forest, Nuno – who took over the reins from Steve Cooper in late 2023 – insisted he remained fully committed to the club.

‘I’m looking for the best now. It’s a difficult day for me now because, as a coaching staff, it’s about realising what happened today,’ he told Sky Sports in the wake of the side’s 3-0 loss at home to West Ham.

‘We need to make sure the same doesn’t happen again.

‘[The international break] gives us a chance for the players who stay here, to really work hard on them and settle down, try to get completed in routines.

‘Hopefully our players return healthy and we can go again.’

Asked whether he expected to be in a job when the season resumed, Nuno replied: ‘Look, you don’t need to ask that question. You know me already.

‘I don’t only think what I have to do, but I must do everything in my power to help the boys.’

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