Nottingham Forest appoint Nuno Espirito Santo as new manager

Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed as the new manager of Nottingham Forest, the Premier League club announced Wednesday.

The 49-year-old Portuguese coach has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Midlands club after Forest sacked Steve Cooper on Tuesday.

Nuno returns to English football following a two-year absence since his departure from Tottenham, with his first match in charge of Forest this Saturday’s game against Bournemouth. 

“Nottingham Forest can today confirm the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as first team head coach,” said a Forest statement.

“Nuno joins the club on a two-and-a-half-year contract and will take charge of his first match on Saturday when Forest face Bournemouth at The City Ground.”

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November.

But he is now back in the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month spell at Tottenham.

Nuno also had four years in charge of Wolves, guiding the club to promotion from the Championship in his first season in charge.

Wolves enjoyed consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League and a run to the Europa League quarter-finals under Nuno’s leadership.

Nuno replaces Cooper, who was sacked after a dismal run of one win in 13 Premier League games left Forest just one place above the relegation zone.

His exit from the City Ground came with Forest having lost five of their past six games.

The 44-year-old led Forest to promotion to the Premier League in 2022, ending a 23-year absence from the top flight.

Cooper had retained the support of Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

But with Cooper’s summer of heavy investment in new signings failing to deliver the required results, Forest’s Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis finally lost patience with the former Swansea boss.