Nottingham Forest fired head coach Nuno Espírito Santo: reasons for the sudden decision.

Resignation of Nuno Espírito Santo

According to The Sun: Nottingham Forest Football Club has fired its coach Nuno Espírito Santo after a disappointing start to the season.

Last season, Nuno, who is 51 years old, led the team to seventh place - the best result in the Premier League since 1995 when the club finished the season in third place.

Nottingham Forest fired Nuno Espírito SantoREUTERS/David Klein The club issued a terse statement following Nuno's dismissalDarren Staples / AFP)

Reasons for dismissal

Nottingham returned to European competitions under Nuno for the first time in 20 years, qualifying for the Europa League after Crystal Palace lost due to issues with multi-club management.

However, the club decided to terminate the contract with the former Tottenham coach and published a statement of 80 words.

Forest did not provide details on the reasons for Nuno's dismissal, merely noting that the decision was related to 'recent circumstances.'

The club thanked Nuno for his contributions at City Ground since his hiring in 2023, emphasizing that he will always be an important part of their journey. The club's statement read:

“Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, due to recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has been dismissed from his duties as head coach today.

“The club thanks Nuno for his contribution to a very successful period at City Ground, particularly for his role in the 2024/25 season, which will always be fondly remembered in the club's history.

“As someone who played a key role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey.”

Conflict with the owner

Questions about Nuno's future became relevant after club owner Evangelos Marinakis entered the pitch after the match against Leicester, which ended in a 2:2 draw in May.

This match effectively closed the club's routes to the Champions League. It was reported that Marinakis was concerned about the actions of the medical staff regarding the treatment of Taiwo Awoniyi's serious injury, rather than the actions of the coach.

However, after a stormy press conference last month held before the second match of the season, Nuno's relationship with the club became questionable - the coach stated that his relationship with Marinakis was no longer as close.

After this, rumors began to circulate about a conflict between the coach and Edu Gaspar, the new head of the football department who oversees Marinakis' clubs, including Olympiakos and Rio Ave.

However, Nuno minimized these rumors in his pre-match interview against Palace, assuring that he would remain a part of the project at City Ground.

Marinakis himself stressed that he still trusts Nuno, participating in the Europa League draw, but ultimately the club decided to continue without the Portuguese coach.

The Nottingham Forest Club, returning to the tradition of participating in European competitions, has found itself in a difficult situation once again. The firing of Nuno Espírito Santo underscores the current difficulties faced by teams during a period of change. A new stage in the club's development could prove decisive as fans and management hope for a return to better times.