‘We want trophies’ – Postecoglou replaces Nuno at Forest

Ange Postecoglou has been appointed head coach of Nottingham Forest and set the target of winning silverware after replacing the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno left his position at the City Ground late on Monday night after 21 months in charge – and only three games into the season.

Postecoglou returns to management three months after he was sacked by Tottenham following a dismal Premier League season when they finished 17th.

However, the 60-year-old Australian led Spurs to a historic Europa League victory at the end of the season to end the club’s long trophy drought.

Postecoglou will be presented as Forest boss at a news conference at 13:30 BST on Thursday.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said: “We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies.

“His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions.”

Forest sit 10th in the Premier League table after taking four points from their opening three games of the season.

Nuno’s last match in charge was a 3-0 defeat by West Ham before September’s international break.

The 51-year-old Portuguese coach took charge of Forest in December 2023 after the dismissal of Steve Cooper and helped preserve their top-flight status.

Last term he guided the club to seventh in the Premier League – their highest finish since 1994-95 – as they qualified for Europe for the first time in three decades.

However, Nuno’s position had been uncertain for two weeks since he publicly declared his relationship with Marinakis had deteriorated, while there were also suggestions of a rift with Forest’s global sporting director Edu.

“After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies,” Marinakis said.

“Ange has the credentials and the track record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.”

BBC Sport understands Forest’s players have been caught by surprise by Nuno’s departure.

Many of them are on international duty and not due back for training until later this week.

But word spread, with some players hearing the news from other members of the squad.

Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who signed a new three-year deal with the club less than two weeks ago, thanked the outgoing manager in a post on X.

“I learned a lot from you and made some great memories along the way. I wish you nothing but the best for the future in your new chapter,” Hudson-Odoi wrote.

Postecoglou’s first game in charge will be Forest’s trip to Arsenal on Saturday.

He becomes the eighth permanent manager since Marinakis took over in May 2017.

Spurs lost 22 of their 38 league matches last season, accumulating only 38 points as they finished 17th – their worst finish in the Premier League.

They conceded 65 goals, with only Wolves and the relegated trio of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton shipping more.

But Postecoglou led the club to a first major trophy in 17 years with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The victory secured Champions League football, but it was not enough to keep Postecoglou in a job and he was sacked by the club 16 days later.

Spurs, who appointed Thomas Frank as his successor, said Postecoglou would be remembered for delivering “one of the club’s greatest moments” in becoming only the third manager to win them a European trophy.

Tottenham finished fifth in his first season in charge before he kept his promise to provide silverware in his second year.

Postecoglou was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented, but he was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his principles and had to contend with a catalogue of injuries to key players.

[BBC]