West Ham sack Nuno Espírito Santo with the club eighth in the Championship

West Ham have dismissed Nuno Espírito Santo as head coach, the club said on Tuesday, 3 November, with the decision taking effect immediately. The Portuguese had been in charge since September 2025, and the club now sits eighth in the EFL Championship. Rui Pedro Silva, the assistant head coach, and Rui Barbosa, the goalkeeping coach, have also left the club.

The club's decision

In its official statement, West Ham said the board had carried out a thorough review of the start to the Championship season and concluded that a change was needed. The club thanked Nuno, Rui Pedro Silva and Rui Barbosa for their hard work and commitment, and wished them well for the future. His last match was a 3-1 home loss to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 31 October, a result that left the club eighth in the table. The board set out its reasoning in direct terms:

“the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the Club's objectives and expectations remain on track”

The sacking takes effect immediately, and the club confirmed the departures of both coaching staff members in the same announcement.

A slide in the Championship

West Ham have won six of their 13 league matches, drawn four and lost three, a return the Independent described as a stalled promotion campaign. They lost 3-2 at home to Southampton on 24 October and then 3-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion on 31 October. The results left them six points behind leaders Middlesbrough and four adrift of second-placed Swansea City. The club had been widely expected to bounce straight back to the Premier League after its relegation, and that expectation has not been met. The Guardian says patience ran out after the defeat by West Bromwich Albion.

Wins6

Draws4

Losses3

Wins

6 matches

Draws

4 matches

Losses

3 matches

Data from the article text

Nuno's spell at the club

Nuno, 52, took charge in September 2025 on a three-year contract, replacing Graham Potter, when the club was 19th in the table. He could not prevent relegation from the Premier League, which was confirmed on the final day of the campaign. The club stood by him after that, and in January it again chose to keep him, although his position had come under question only months after his arrival. The Guardian judged that he struggled to put his ideas across, and that his tactics, team selections and signings had not worked out. Before joining West Ham, he had spells at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.

Interim arrangements and the search

Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville will take temporary charge of preparations for the Championship match at Cardiff City on Wednesday, 4 November. The club said recruitment for a new head coach is already under way and that it would make no further comment until the appointment is confirmed. The Guardian reports there had previously been internal support for former West Ham manager Scott Parker to take over, although no clear favourite has emerged. West Ham want an immediate return to the top flight, and their next game after Cardiff is away at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, 7 November. The sacking leaves the club without a permanent head coach.