Nottingham Forest Sack Nuno Espirito Santo After Fallout With Club Owner

Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis broke down beyond repair.

Tensions had been building for weeks. Nuno recently admitted in public that things between him and Marinakis had gone “sour,” and reports say the owner was deeply upset by the coach speaking out twice in one week.

Nuno joined Forest in December 2023 on a two-and-a-half-year contract, replacing Steve Cooper. He made a strong impact, leading the team to a 7th-place finish in the Premier League — their best result since 1994-95 — and helping the club qualify for European competition for the first time in 30 years. Because of that success, he was given a new three-year contract in June.

However, just before the second game of the new season against Crystal Palace, Nuno told the media that his relationship with Marinakis had changed, though he didn’t know exactly why.

“I don’t know exactly, but I’m being honest — it’s not the same,” Nuno said. “It used to be based on trust and sharing opinions. Now it’s not so good.”

He added that he had shared his concerns about the direction of the club, but insisted he spoke with respect.

Despite his achievements on the pitch, the breakdown in communication and trust between Nuno and Marinakis was too serious to fix.

With Nuno now out, several big-name managers are being linked to the job at Nottingham Forest. These include former Tottenham Hotspur bosses Ange Postecoglou and Mauricio Pochettino, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, and even Jose Mourinho.

Forest will now look to reset under new leadership as they aim to build on last season’s success and maintain their place in European competition.