West Ham United have sacked head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. They are eighth in the Championship, six points behind leaders Middlesbrough after 13 games, and the decision came three days after a 3-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion at London Stadium.
The club confirmed on Tuesday that Nuno “has left his position with immediate effect”. Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have also left.
“Following a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season, the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary at this time,” the statement said. It added that “the process of recruiting a new Head Coach is already underway”.
Club legend Mark Noble will take temporary charge of squad preparations with Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville. Their first game is away at Cardiff City on Wednesday evening.
Back-to-back defeats proved decisive
West Ham had won six of their 13 league games. Their form had dropped sharply in recent weeks, with two wins from their last seven matches in all competitions.
The run that finished Nuno began with a 3-2 defeat by Southampton. The loss to West Brom on Saturday was worse. Felix Horn Myhre gave the visitors the lead and Jarrod Bowen equalised, but Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Callum Styles scored to seal a deserved win for Albion. The home crowd made its anger clear.
Earlier in the week there had been reports that Nuno would keep his job even if West Ham lost to West Brom. That changed within 72 hours.
The key points behind the decision:
- Eighth place after 13 games, outside the automatic promotion places, for a side expected to go straight back up
- Consecutive league defeats to Southampton and West Brom
- Two wins in seven matches in all competitions
- Six points behind leaders Middlesbrough
Kretinsky loses patience
The decision is especially notable because of what happened in the summer. Nuno arrived in September 2025 on a three-year contract after Graham Potter was sacked, but he could not keep West Ham in the Premier League.
The Hammers went down on the final day of 2025-26 despite beating Leeds United 3-0, because Tottenham avoided defeat against Everton. West Ham finished with 39 points, well above the average of 34.5 for a 17th-placed side since the Premier League cut to 20 teams. The drop ended a 14-year stay in the top flight and was the club’s third relegation from the Premier League.
Many supporters and parts of the media expected Nuno to be sacked then. Instead, after talks with the board, the club announced he would stay. GiveMeSport reports that majority owner Daniel Kretinsky went against chairman David Sullivan to keep the Portuguese coach.
Kretinsky has now reversed that decision. According to Claret & Hugh, he had grown “increasingly unimpressed” with performances this season. At Sparta Prague, his record shows he is willing to change managers when results fall short. GiveMeSport reports that he made the final call this time too, although the club’s statement credits the board as a whole.
The pressure from outside had been building. After the West Brom defeat, talkSPORT editor Tom Rennie wrote: “Nuno has to go. There’s no discussion to be had. He’s as bad as Graham Potter,” adding that “the team look like they’re not being coached.”
What comes next for West Ham
The Championship table still gives West Ham room to recover. They are six points off the top, and according to Yahoo Sports the gap to second place could be as small as three points. With 33 league games left, the season is still open. The issue for the board is how the team has been playing, not only its league position.
The club has said it will make no further comment until a new head coach is confirmed. Reports in recent days suggest the search began before the sacking was announced. No candidate has been officially linked.
Whoever takes over will need to turn things round quickly. After Cardiff, West Ham travel to Blackburn Rovers at the weekend, so the interim team takes charge of two away games in four days.
For Nuno, it is a second sacking in just over a year. He left Nottingham Forest in September 2025 before joining West Ham. He took over a struggling side in the Premier League and never turned them round. Being given another chance in the Championship did not change the outcome.
For West Ham, the move puts the pressure on Kretinsky and Sullivan. After deciding to keep Nuno in the summer and then sacking him less than half a season later, they need their next appointment to work. Clubs that miss out on promotion in their first season after relegation often struggle financially, and a club of West Ham’s size will be expected to go straight back up.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
1112 articles published
