Ange Postecoglou set to replace Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest

Ange Postecoglou is set to be confirmed as Nottingham Forest’s head coach, according to reports in England, after the Premier League club fired manager Nuno Espírito Santo just three games into the season after a deterioration in his working relationship with the club’s hierarchy.

Postecoglou, the Australian head coach sacked by Tottenham at the end of last season, has agreed a contract with Forest through to the end of next season after talks with club owner Evangelos Marinakis, the London Telegraph reported.

Under the 51-year-old Nuno, Forest — European champions in 1979 and ’80 — secured a spot in European competition for the first time in 30 years thanks to a seventh-place finish in the league last season. Forest were in the top five for most of the campaign and came close to qualifying for the Champions League.

However, Nuno will not get the chance to lead Forest into the Europa League after a very public falling-out with Marinakis, reportedly stemming from a breakdown in relations with the club’s recently hired global head of football, Edu Gaspar.

Nuno was critical of Forest’s off-season transfer activity, which he deemed crucial to maintain momentum after the team’s best season this century. With Edu directing transfer operations, most of Forest’s signings came late in the window — by which time Nuno had acknowledged his relationship with Marinakis was “not so good” and that he was worried about his job security.

In a middle-of-the-night statement released by Forest on Tuesday, the club said Nuno had been fired “following recent circumstances” before thanking him “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.”

Ange Postecoglou with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis in July.

“As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season,” the statement read, “he will always hold a special place in our journey.”

Nuno took charge in December 2023 when the team was battling relegation, ensured its survival, then delivered its highest finish since the 1994-95 season.

The team has opened the Premier League with one win, a draw and a loss — 3-0 at home to struggling West Ham before the international break — and visits Arsenal on Saturday.

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Forest begins its Europa League campaign with a trip to Spanish club Real Betis on September 24. Finishing seventh in the Premier League actually secured a place in the third-tier Conference League but Forest was promoted to the Europa League at the expense of Crystal Palace — the FA Cup winner — which was found to have breached UEFA rules on club ownership.

Marinakis, who also owns Greek champion Olympiakos, is known in soccer as a big personality with strong opinions on how his clubs are run. He has turned around the fortunes of Forest, which won back-to-back European Cups almost miraculously, dropped down the leagues after relegation from the top flight in 1999 and only returned to the Premier League in 2022.

AP

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