West Ham moved swiftly on Saturday, appointing Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager just hours after parting ways with Graham Potter.
The Portuguese coach, sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this season, has signed a three-year contract and will take charge of his first game on Monday night away to Everton.
Potter’s Struggles End in Dismissal
Potter’s departure had long been expected after a miserable start left West Ham second from bottom in the Premier League. The 49-year-old managed just three points from five league games this season, coupled with an early League Cup exit at Wolves.
“Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025/26 season have not matched expectations,” the club said
in a statement.
Last weekend’s home defeat to Crystal Palace proved the final straw, coming just weeks after a 3-0 loss to Tottenham. Potter departs having won only six of his 25 matches since replacing Julen Lopetegui in January.
“I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham United Football Club,” Potter said in his farewell note. “I fully acknowledge that the results have just not been good enough.”
Nuno’s Return to the Premier League
Nuno, 51, expressed pride at taking charge of the East London club.
“I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United,” he said. “My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be.”
The former Wolves and Tottenham boss enjoyed a strong spell at Forest last season, guiding them to seventh and a first European campaign in 30 years. But he was dismissed earlier this month after clashing with owner Evangelos Marinakis over transfers.
Nuno’s résumé remains impressive: he transformed Wolves into a stable Premier League outfit and reached a Europa League quarter-final, though his ill-fated 17-game stint at Spurs ended in dismissal.
(with AFP inputs)
