West Ham dismiss Nuno Espirito Santo with club eighth in Championship

West Ham United have dismissed head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after a difficult start to their Championship campaign, BBC Sport and The Guardian reported on Tuesday. The decision ends his spell in charge with the club eighth in the table, having retained him following relegation from the Premier League last season.

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According to BBC Sport, West Ham are six points behind leaders Middlesbrough and have managed two victories in their past six matches. Their recent results include successive defeats at home: 3-2 against Southampton, followed by Saturday's 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion. Those setbacks preceded the decision to change the coaching team during the club's attempt to secure an immediate return to the top flight.

Nuno, 52, took over from Graham Potter in September 2025. The Guardian reported that he had 33 matches in which to try to keep West Ham in the Premier League, but the team went down. The club initially continued with him in the Championship, where automatic promotion remains its objective. His departure means that effort will now continue under different leadership after a tenure lasting about 14 months.

In a statement carried by both outlets, West Ham said the board had reviewed the opening part of the Championship season and concluded that a coaching change was needed to keep the club's targets within reach. The announcement linked the dismissal to the team's progress against those expectations. It also confirmed that assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa had left alongside Nuno.

Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville have been placed in temporary charge. BBC Sport reported that the trio will oversee Wednesday night's Championship visit to Cardiff City, leaving them with an immediate league assignment following the departures. Their appointment is an interim arrangement while the club seeks a permanent head coach.

West Ham said recruitment was already under way, according to BBC Sport. The Guardian reported that there was no clear favourite for the position at the time of its report. The club's statement also thanked Nuno, Silva and Barbosa for their work and wished them well following their exits.