Nuno Espirito Santo will stay on as West Ham manager after the club suffered relegation from the Premier League. The Hammers manager met with the club’s senior management on Monday following their heartbreaking relegation despite thrashing Leeds United 3-0 on Sunday.
Both parties agreed to stick together, despite speculations that Nuno would be relieved of his job. The club’s management reportedly hopes that the Portuguese tactician would replicate his impressive efforts when he took Wolves back to the English topflight in 2018.
West Ham wrote in an official statement: “Relegation is obviously not the outcome that anyone at West Ham United would have wanted when the Premier League season started last August. For every single person who is passionate about the Club, it hurts deeply and that feeling will sustain for some time. As a Board we cannot shy away from the fact our season has not been good enough. We know you, the supporters, have backed the team constantly as always and your loyalty and commitment has not been matched by our final league position. We also understand the frustration that many of you feel about the direction the Club has headed in recent years.
“Although relegation is not what any of us wanted, we now have to look forward. The Board must now review every aspect of the Club’s operation to ensure that when we return to the Premier League – hopefully in August 2027 – we are a better West Ham United in every way, on and off the pitch. The football operation always has to be our first priority and the planning for next season started as soon as the final whistle sounded on Sunday. We held meetings with Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo early this week and are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his continued commitment to the Club – as we have to him.”
West Ham suffered a slow start to the season which led to then-manager Graham Potter’s dismissal in September. Nuno Espirito Santo took over late in the season and managed to lead the team to take 25 points from their final 17 Premier League matches. The result was enough to convince the club’s management that he was the best man for the job.
“While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the board of directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress,” the club said.
“A total of 25 points taken from our final 17 Premier League matches equated to 1.47 points per game – a ratio that would have resulted in a 7th place finish across the total season. Furthermore, we feel the clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness since January, leading to that upturn in performances and results, makes him the right man to lead us forward.”
The Hammers will now play in the Championship for the first time since 2012. Club sources estimate it will cost them £200m in lost revenue, including a whooping £100m loss in their latest accounts. More losses are expected in the coming season, including coveted stars like skipper Jarrod Bowen and Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
