Nottingham Forest have announced the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, following the departure of Nuno Espírito Santo, who was dismissed after a breakdown in his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Postecoglou, 60, will take charge for the first time in Forest’s Premier League clash against Arsenal this Saturday.
The club currently sits 10th in the table with four points from three games.
Nuno, who joined in December 2023, guided Forest to European qualification last season, their first in three decades, by finishing seventh.
However, tensions reportedly escalated between him and Marinakis during the summer, particularly after Forest missed out on Champions League football and following public comments Nuno made about the club’s transfer dealings.
Despite his successful season, Nuno became the first managerial casualty of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The club confirmed his departure in a late-night statement on Tuesday:
“Following recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as head coach,” the club said.
“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.”
Postecoglou’s appointment marks his return to Premier League management just three months after being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, despite winning the Europa League and ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought.
His dismissal came after Spurs endured their worst league finish since 1976/77, ending the season in 17th place.
Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, expressed strong confidence in Postecoglou’s ability to lead the club to further success:
“We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies,” said Marinakis.
“His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions.”
Postecoglou’s previous successes include winning silverware with Tottenham, Celtic, Yokohama Marinos, and the Australian national team.
Forest’s rise under Nuno was built on a pragmatic, defense-first strategy, but Postecoglou is known for his attacking and possession-based style.
His appointment signals a possible tactical shift as the club aims to build on last season’s achievements.
Marinakis made clear the club’s vision to continue progressing:
“After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies,” he added.
“Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.”
Nuno’s relationship with the club began to sour toward the end of last season. A tense on-pitch exchange between him and Marinakis followed a 2-2 draw with Leicester in May.
The disagreement reportedly stemmed from the decision to allow striker Taiwo Awoniyi to continue playing despite an injury that later required urgent surgery.
He further stoked tensions by criticizing the club’s transfer activity during pre-season, saying he was “worried” about Forest’s prospects and that his squad was “unbalanced.”
Although Forest later added 13 players under new sporting director Edu Gaspar, the rift had already widened.
