Nuno Santo sacked by Nottingham Forest: How will this affect Zinchenko?
Nuno Espírito Santo (photo: facebook.com/officialnffc)
English club Nottingham Forest has officially announced the dismissal of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. Despite finishing seventh in the Premier League last season and qualifying for European competitions, the Portuguese coach is leaving the team, the club's official website reports.
Official club statement
"Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as Head Coach. The Club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the Club," the press service statement reads.
Espírito Santo took charge of Nottingham Forest on December 20, 2023. Over a year and a half, the Portuguese specialist led the team to seventh place in the Premier League and secured a spot in the Europa League after Crystal Palace was relegated to the Conference League.
Conflicts within the club
According to British media, Espírito Santo's resignation is linked not only to owner Evangelos Marinakis but also to new international relations director Edu Gaspar.
The former Arsenal sporting director joined Forest in July and reportedly had a conflict with the coach.
Espírito Santo himself admitted at the end of August that his relationship with Marinakis had noticeably deteriorated.
"This season, not so well. No, it's not close. What it used to be was a good, respectful relationship, but was more based on trust and sharing opinions, and now it’s not so good. Where there's smoke, there's fire," Espírito Santo said.
Espírito Santo's record
Under the Portuguese coach, Nottingham Forest played 73 matches: 32 wins, 15 draws, and 26 losses (goal difference 123:116).
Despite a strong result last season, the 2025/26 campaign started less successfully. After three rounds of the Premier League, the club is in 10th place with four points.
Who will become the new coach?
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the main candidate for the head coach position is former Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou, who led the Spurs to a Europa League victory last season. Two other specialists are also being considered, though their names have not been disclosed.
What's next
Nottingham Forest will play their next match against Arsenal on Saturday, September 13. On September 24, the English club will start the Europa League group stage with a match against Spanish club Betis.
This season, Ukrainian national team midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko plays for Nottingham Forest. He joined the club on loan from Arsenal on the last day of the transfer window.
Earlier, we shared Oleksandr Zinchenko's first words after moving from Arsenal to Nottingham Forest.
We previously revealed why Zinchenko will not play for Nottingham Forest in the Europa League.
