Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach Nuno Espirito Santo just three games into the new season, cutting short his 21-month reign at the City Ground.

Speculation over Nuno’s position had mounted in recent weeks after he admitted his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis had soured. Talks are already underway to name his successor, with former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou among those being considered.

In a statement released after midnight, the club thanked the Portuguese coach “for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground,” noting that he would “always hold a special place” in Forest’s history.

Appointed in December 2023 following Steve Cooper’s departure, Nuno kept Forest in the Premier League during his first season. He then led them to a seventh-place finish last year — their highest since 1994-95 — and secured European qualification for the first time in three decades, earning a three-year contract extension in June.

But a shaky start to the new campaign, including a 3-0 home defeat to West Ham before the international break, combined with escalating internal tensions, has brought his time at the club to a premature close.