Nuno Espírito Santo quickly established himself as the leader of Nottingham Forest after a successful 2024/25 season in which the club returned to European competition. However, during the international break and just three games into the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, executives have taken the decision to sack the Portuguese coach.
Forest have been in a precarious financial position in recent years, with the Premier League docking points in March 2024 and relegation looming late in that season. But under Nuno — who was appointed in December 2023 — the club stunned the league by avoiding the drop and mounting an unlikely push for Europe.
The turnaround continued in 2024/25, as Nottingham Forest finished seventh in the Premier League to secure a Europa League berth. It was the club’s first European qualification since the 1995/96 campaign, when they reached the UEFA Cup quarterfinals before falling to Bayern Munich. Despite those achievements, off-field issues have reportedly pushed the board toward dismissing him.
On Monday, Nottingham Forest announced that Nuno has been relieved of his duties as head coach. According to The Athletic, tensions with owner Evangelos Marinakis and the recent appointment of Edu as global head of football are believed to have been key factors. Nuno himself hinted at the rift in an August 22 press conference ahead of a clash with Crystal Palace.
Evangelos Marinakis, Owner of Nottingham Forest, looks on from the stand during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Everton FC at City Ground on April 12, 2025 in Nottingham, England.
“I have always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very, very close, almost on a daily basis. This season, not so well… Our relationship has changed. It’s not so close. It’s not on a daily basis. It’s not good. Everyone at the club should be together, but that’s not the reality,” Nuno admitted, fueling speculation about internal divisions.
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Marinakis responded a week later on TNT Sports: “We have a solid relationship. Of course, sometimes we can be nervous, say one thing, say another. But what counts is the real relationship between me and Nuno, between Nuno and the players, and between the players and ourselves.” While Marinakis tried to downplay the situation at the time, the board’s decision to part ways now appears to vindicate Nuno’s version of events.
Several candidates to replace Nuno
With Edu now in a prominent role and reportedly clashing over player recruitment, Forest have used the international break to explore potential replacements for Nuno. Several names are already being considered, all of them Premier League-proven.
According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, former Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is among the leading candidates. José Mourinho has also been linked, while Fulham manager Marco Silva is said to be of interest to Marinakis. However, prying him away from Craven Cottage would be far more complicated.
