The football world was taken by surprise on Monday, September 8, 2025, with the abrupt sacking of Nuno Espírito Santo from his position as head coach of Nottingham Forest. The decision came just three games into the new Premier League season, a move that followed a very public and rapidly deteriorating relationship between the Portuguese manager and the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis. This sudden turn of events brings to a close a remarkable and ultimately turbulent chapter at the City Ground.
Nuno’s tenure, while short in the grand scheme of football history, was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, filled with dramatic highs and a public fallout that proved to be his undoing. He was in charge of the club for just under two years, having been appointed on December 20, 2023.
Nottingham Forest’s Records Under Nuno’s Leadership
According to reports from Sky Sports and The Athletic, Nuno managed Nottingham Forest for a total of 73 matches across all competitions. His overall record was:
- Matches: 73
- Wins: 28
- Draws: 20
- Losses: 25
- Win Percentage: Approximately 38.4%
This record is a testament to the two different seasons he oversaw.
- 2023-24 Season: Nuno’s initial task was to keep Forest in the Premier League. The team was mired in a relegation battle and had suffered a four-point deduction for a breach of financial rules. Under his guidance, they finished 17th, six points clear of the relegation zone. This was a significant achievement, given the circumstances, and earned him immense praise.
- 2024-25 Season: This was the season that truly cemented Nuno’s legacy at the City Ground. Building on the momentum of survival, Forest had an unexpected and sensational campaign. They spent a significant portion of the season in the top four, mounting an unlikely challenge for Champions League qualification. While they ultimately finished seventh, this was their highest league finish since 1994-95 and secured them a spot in the UEFA Europa League. They also had a strong FA Cup run, reaching the semi-finals before being defeated by Manchester City at Wembley. This remarkable season culminated in Nuno signing a new three-year contract in June 2025.
The Breakdown: A Public Fallout with the Owner
The relationship between Nuno and club owner Evangelos Marinakis, which had been described as “very close” and almost “daily” during the successful 2024-25 season, deteriorated rapidly over the summer of 2025. According to reports from the BBC and Sky Sports, this public fallout, rather than on-field results, appears to be the primary reason for his sudden dismissal.
The tension began to surface publicly in August when Nuno openly criticized the club’s transfer business and its new leadership structure. He expressed his frustration that the squad was “unbalanced” and “very, very far” from being ready for the new season. He also revealed that his relationship with Marinakis was “not so well” and that the “dialogue” that was once a daily occurrence had ceased. These comments reportedly angered and baffled the owner, who felt the manager had unfairly aired internal grievances in public. The rift was believed to be centered around the appointment of a new global head of football, Edu Gaspar, and a shift in the club’s recruitment strategy. Nuno was said to be hostile to the new setup and felt his influence had been diminished.
Despite the club’s strong start to the season with four points from their first three games, the 3-0 home defeat to West Ham United before the international break, coupled with the ongoing public dispute, provided a tipping point. The owner, feeling that the relationship was irreparable and that the public conflict was detrimental to the club’s image and stability, made the decisive move to sack the manager.
Nuno’s Relationship with the Club and Fanbase
Nuno’s relationship with the Nottingham Forest fanbase was a story of a manager who won them over through success. Initially, he was tasked with a difficult job and was the less popular choice to replace the beloved Steve Cooper. However, his ability to steer the club away from relegation in his first few months quickly earned him respect. The stunning form and European qualification in the following season transformed that respect into admiration. He was seen as the manager who had finally ended the club’s long wait for European football and brought a new era of ambition to the City Ground.
His sacking has been met with a mixed reaction. While some fans feel that his public comments made his position untenable, many others are expressing shock and disappointment, believing that the board’s decision is shortsighted and undermines the stability he had finally brought to the club. They question the wisdom of removing a manager who, just months ago, had signed a new contract and delivered a historic season.
The club’s official statement thanked Nuno for his “contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground” and noted that his role in the 2024-25 season “will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the club.” This acknowledgment of his achievements underscores the fact that the decision to sack him was not performance-related but rather a result of an irreconcilable breakdown in the relationship between the manager and the club’s top brass.
The departure of Nuno Espírito Santo marks the end of a remarkable and successful period for Nottingham Forest, one that saw them move from Premier League relegation candidates to European contenders. It serves as a stark reminder that in modern football, a manager’s relationship with the board and owner can be as important as their record on the pitch. While Nuno will be remembered fondly for his historic achievements on the field, his time at the City Ground will also be marked by the public conflict that ultimately led to his downfall. Forest is now left to search for a new leader, and the new manager will face the immense pressure of following a man who, despite a difficult end, led the club to a level of success it had not seen in decades.