Nottingham Forest has unexpectedly fired coach Nuno Espirito Santo, the same manager who led them to their best league finish in nearly 30 years and European football. 

His dismissal came after a heated disagreement with the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis. 

Nuno had publicly complained about the team’s new players and felt he wasn’t part of the transfer decisions, which upset Marinakis. 

The final decision to part ways was made after a major home loss. 

Now, the club must quickly find a new leader to keep the team on track as they face a very challenging series of matches.

Nuno Espirito Santo arrived at Nottingham Forest in December 2023, taking over a team in crisis. 

Despite a four-point penalty for financial rule breaches, he successfully steered the club to Premier League safety in his first half-season. 

His full season in charge, the 2024-25 campaign, saw him achieve remarkable success. 

Forest secured a seventh-place finish, the club’s highest since 1994-95, ending a nearly 30-year absence from European football. 

They also made a strong run to the FA Cup semifinals. 

Nuno’s tenure of 73 matches resulted in 28 wins, 20 draws, and 25 defeats. 

His ability to create a “siege mentality” endeared him to the fans, who widely praised his impact on social media. 

Despite the success, tensions were quietly growing behind the scenes.

The summer of 2025 exposed deep issues between Nuno and Marinakis. 

The club was extremely active in the transfer market, spending nearly £196 million on 13 new players, including a last-minute flurry of signings. 

However, Nuno publicly expressed his frustration, calling the squad “unbalanced” and “very, very far” from being ready. 

He felt sidelined from the recruitment process, especially after Edu Gaspar, a trusted associate of Marinakis, joined as global head of football. 

Nuno publicly stated that his relationship with the owner was “not the same” and “not so good,” a public airing of grievances that reportedly angered Marinakis. 

The final straw for the owner was a 3-0 home defeat to West Ham, the team’s worst loss under Nuno.

With Nuno’s departure, the club is now searching for a new head coach. 

No interim manager has been named. 

Several prominent names have been linked with the job, including Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola, Mauricio Pochettino, and Marco Silva. 

Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou is also a potential candidate. 

The new manager will face a challenging schedule, with upcoming league matches against Arsenal, Burnley, and Newcastle, as well as Europa League fixtures against Real Betis and Midtjylland. 

The sacking risks derailing the team’s momentum as they navigate both domestic and European competitions.