Nottingham Forest have appointed former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou as the new head coach following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno was relieved of his duties on Monday night after a breakdown in his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis. Postecoglou, who left Spurs in June, quickly returns to management and will take charge at the City Ground, with Marinakis expecting him to compete for trophies.

The Australian led Tottenham to Europa League glory last season but was dismissed just 16 days later. At Forest, he now gets another Premier League and European opportunity. Marinakis said: “We are bringing a coach with a proven and consistent record of winning trophies. His experience at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us, makes him ideal to help us achieve our ambitions. After promotion and European qualification, we must now take the right steps to compete with the best. Ange has the credentials and track record to do this, and we are excited to have him on board.”

Postecoglou faces an immediate Premier League test as Forest travel to Arsenal on Saturday. During his two seasons at Spurs, he ended their trophy drought but finished 17th in the league.

Nuno, 51, had been given a new contract in June after guiding Forest to Europa League qualification for the first time since 1995. However, tensions with Marinakis and a strained relationship with global head of football Edu Gaspar emerged over the summer. Nuno criticised the club’s transfer activity and hinted at his own uncertainty, saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” when asked about his future.

Forest confirmed his departure in a statement, thanking Nuno for his contributions during a successful era, particularly in the 2024/25 season. Nuno later admitted that his relationship with Marinakis had deteriorated: “Last season it was very close, this season not so well… What it used to be was a good, respectful relationship based on trust, but now it’s not the same.”