Nottingham Forest have parted ways with head coach Nuno Espírito Santo, only three matches into the new Premier League campaign. His exit comes after 21 months in charge at the City Ground.

Rumours about his future had been swirling for a fortnight, ever since the Portuguese openly admitted that his working relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis had soured. That rift has now proved decisive, with confirmation of his departure arriving late on Monday night.

The timing is striking, given what Nuno achieved last season. Having arrived in December 2023 following Steve Cooper’s dismissal, he quickly steadied the ship and pulled Forest away from the drop zone. By May, he had led them to seventh place – the club’s highest finish since the mid-90s – and even a run to the FA Cup semi-finals.

Most memorably, Nuno guided Forest back into European competition for the first time in three decades. Initially set for the Conference League, their slot was upgraded to the Europa League thanks to Crystal Palace being ruled out by UEFA over ownership rule breaches.

Despite these successes, his tenure had become increasingly precarious as disagreements with Marinakis spilled into public view. Many fans will feel his dismissal is harsh, considering how far he’d taken the team in such a short space of time.

Attention now turns to who comes in next. Talks over a successor are already under way, with a quick appointment expected. Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been linked as a possible candidate.