London, Sep 9 : Nottingham Forest have sacked its head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after 21 months in charge. He was in charge of Forest for 73 games, winning 28, drawing 20 with 25 defeats.

The Portuguese coach had joined the club on a two-and-a-half-year contract in December 2023 after the dismissal of Steve Cooper.

Santo's position had been uncertain for two weeks since he publicly declared his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis has gone sour.

"Nottingham Forest Football Club confirms that, following recent circumstances, Nuno Espírito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as Head Coach," the Premier League club said in a statement.

"The Club thanks Nuno for his contribution during a very successful era at the City Ground, in particular his role in the 2024/25 season, which will forever be remembered fondly in the history of the Club," it added.

Last term Santo guided Forest to seventh in the Premier League - their highest finish since 1994-95 - as they qualified for Europe for the first time in three decades. His success saw him sign a new three-year deal in June.

"As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey," the club said.

Despite the club's success on the pitch during Nuno's time as manager, his relationship with Marinakis became increasingly strained.

In August, Nuno revealed he feared for his job. He had also criticised the club's activity in the summer transfer window, saying they had wasted a good chance.

"I always had a very good relationship with the owner - last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well," Nuno had said. "Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together but this is not the reality."

/IANS