West Ham has appointed Nuno Espirito Santo, the former manager of Nottingham Forest, as their new head coach just hours after parting ways with Graham Potter.
Nuno, 51, has signed a three-year deal with the club and will lead his first match on Monday against Everton in the Premier League.
Potter was let go on Saturday morning after just eight months in charge, with the team sitting in 19th place in the league.
Nuno comes to West Ham after being dismissed by Forest on September 9, where he had previously led the team to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, their best result since 1994-95.
“I am very pleased to be here and proud to represent West Ham United,” he stated.
“My goal is to work hard to maximize the team’s potential and ensure we are as competitive as possible.
The work has already begun, and I am eager for the challenges ahead.”
Nuno’s first training session in east London took place on Saturday afternoon, ahead of the match against Everton on Monday.
West Ham announced that Nuno will be temporarily assisted by academy coaches Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville, and Billy Lepine, with further details about his coaching staff to be revealed later.
Under Potter, West Ham managed to secure only three points from their first five league matches this season.
Following Potter’s dismissal, West Ham expressed that a change is necessary to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible.
“The results and performances during the latter half of last season and the beginning of the 2025-26 season have not met expectations,” the club had said.
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In a statement through the League Managers Association, Potter expressed his disappointment in leaving West Ham, particularly without achieving the goals set at the start of their journey in east London.
“However, I fully recognize that the results have simply not been good enough thus far,” he stated.
Nuno returns to the Premier League just 18 days after his exit from Nottingham Forest.
Former West Ham winger Matt Jarvis commented, “I think Nuno has been an excellent manager. His work at Forest was remarkable.
He managed to integrate numerous players into the team and established a cohesive formation and style of play.
He will need to replicate that at West Ham, which requires some restructuring, as many players are lacking confidence.”
He questioned whether West Ham fans would be patient, noting that while David Moyes achieved great success and won a European trophy, there were concerns about the style of play.
The club then brought in Julen Lopetegui with high expectations for an exciting style, which did not materialize, and they hoped for similar results with Potter. Now, they are reverting back to Nuno.
