Nottingham Forest Sack Nuno Espirito Santo After Three Games

Nottingham Forest have dismissed head coach Nuno Espirito Santo just three matches into the new season.

The 51-year-old, who signed a new three-year deal this summer after leading Forest into the Europa League, admitted in August that his relationship with co-owner Evangelos Marinakis was “not the same” as the previous year.

His exit comes after he publicly criticized the club’s hierarchy over their transfer dealings, describing his squad as “unbalanced” and “very, very far” from ready for the campaign.

Forest confirmed the decision in a statement released at 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, thanking Nuno for his role in a “very successful era,” especially his achievement of guiding the team to a seventh-place finish in 2024/25 and securing European football for the first time in 30 years.

Nuno, who signed a fresh contract in June, acknowledged tensions with Marinakis had grown following the appointment of Edu Gaspar as head of football. He hinted at his possible departure, saying “when there’s smoke, there’s fire” before his sacking was announced.

He oversaw Forest’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and a 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham before the international break. His departure comes just days before Forest’s trip to Arsenal.