.jpg) Espírito Santo as manager ofValencia in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nuno Herlander Simões Espírito Santo | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-01-25)25 January 1974 (age 51) | ||
| Place of birth | São Tomé, Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | West Ham United (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1985–1986 | Santoantoniense | ||
| 1986–1987 | Quimigal | ||
| 1987–1991 | Caçadores Torreenses | ||
| 1991–1992 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1996 | Vitória Guimarães | 34 | (0) |
| 1993–1994 | →Vila Real (loan) | 19 | (0) |
| 1997–2002 | Deportivo La Coruña | 4 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | →Mérida (loan) | 69 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | →Osasuna (loan) | 33 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Porto | 16 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Dynamo Moscow | 11 | (0) |
| 2007 | Aves | 15 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | Porto | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 209 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1992 | Portugal U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 1995 | Portugal U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1996 | Portugal U23 | 5 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Portugal B | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2014 | Rio Ave | ||
| 2014–2015 | Valencia | ||
| 2016–2017 | Porto | ||
| 2017–2021 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| 2021 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 2022–2023 | Al-Ittihad | ||
| 2023–2025 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| 2025– | West Ham United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nuno Herlander Simões Espírito Santo (born 25 January 1974), known asNuno Espírito Santo or simplyNuno, is a Portuguesefootball manager and formerplayer who played as agoalkeeper and is currently head coach ofPremier League clubWest Ham United.
During his career, Espírito Santo first made a name for himself in Spain, playing for three teams in five years. He later returned to Portugal to representPorto, and also played professionally in Russia. He was part of thePortuguese squad atUEFA Euro 2008, but never won acap for the national team.
Espírito Santo started his coaching career at Greek clubPanathinaikos as an assistant. He became a coach in 2012, leading Portuguese clubRio Ave to both domestic cup finals in 2014. After brief spells atValencia in Spain'sLa Liga, and a return to Porto, he managedWolverhampton Wanderers for four years. In 2021, he took over as manager ofTottenham Hotspur, but was relieved of his duties after four months in charge. He became manager ofAl-Ittihad Club in July 2022 where he won aleague title andSaudi Super Cup before being dismissed in November 2023. The following month, he returned to the Premier League as head coach ofNottingham Forest. He was dismissed in September 2025 and later that month was appointed head coach of West Ham United.
Espírito Santo was born inSão Tomé, Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe, before moving to Portugal at the age of 8.[1] He started his football career withVitória Guimarães. After a meeting with the thenPorto nightclub ownerJorge Mendes, Espírito Santo became the agent's first client in 1996.[2] Mendes brokered a $1 million transfer the following January toLa Liga'sDeportivo La Coruña,[3] although Espírito Santo spent three of his six seasons at the club out onloan, backing upJacques Songo'o (1996–1998) andJosé Francisco Molina (2001–02) when he was part of the team.[citation needed] He was the preferred goalkeeper for thewinning campaign in theCopa del Rey in the latter season, althoughJavier Irureta played Molina in thefinal victory overReal Madrid.[4]
In1999–2000, as he representedMérida in theSegunda División, Espírito Santo won theRicardo Zamora Trophy and helped the team finish sixth, but the club would be relegated toSegunda División B due to irregularities.[5] He was loaned toOsasuna thefollowing season,[6] going on to rank seventh in the Zamora as his team finished only one point above the relegation zone in the top tier.[7]
José Mourinho'sPorto paid €3 million to sign Espírito Santo in July 2002, as part of the deal that sawJorge Andrade join Deportivo.[8] During a 2003Taça de Portugal match againstVarzim, he was allowed by Mourinho to convert apenalty kick, scoring the club's last goal in a7–0 home win.[9] In May 2004, Espírito Santo was an unused substitute for the final as Porto won the2003–04 UEFA Champions League.[10] On 12 December, he replaced club greatVítor Baía duringextra time of the2004 Intercontinental Cup finalpenalty shoot-out victory againstOnce Caldas.[11] However, in January, he was sold toRussian Premier League clubDynamo Moscow.[12]
In January 2007, Espírito Santo returned to Portugal for a stint withAves,[13]eventually relegated from thePrimeira Liga. He returned to Porto in July, backing up BrazilianHelton during most of his spell.[14] Despite his limited involvement on the pitch – earning him the nicknameO Substituto – he was considered a leader at the club.[15]
Espírito Santo again played second-fiddle to Helton during the2008–09 season, appearing in only four games, but was the starter throughout thedomestic cup campaign, including the 1–0 final win againstPaços de Ferreira.[16]
Born in São Tomé and Príncipe, Espírito Santo moved to Portugal at a young age and hold dual Portuguese and Santomean citizenship.[17] He representedPortugal at the1996 Summer Olympics, playing four matches for thefourth-placed team.[18] He also played forthe nation's B team.[19]Uncapped, he was called to thesenior squad competing inUEFA Euro 2008, replacing the injuredQuim,[20] but did not play a match.
On 21 June 2010, Porto announced that Espírito Santo's contract would not be renewed.[21] The 36-year-old said he would always support Porto as he left.[22] After his retirement, he rejoined former Porto managerJesualdo Ferreira, moving toMálaga as a goalkeeping coach, before the pair signed forPanathinaikos in November.[23]
In May 2012,Rio Ave dismissed managerCarlos Brito and announced the appointment of Espírito Santo.[24] In his first match in charge on 18 August, the team lost 1–0 at home toMarítimo in the first game of the2012–13 Primeira Liga season.[25] He recorded his first win nine days later, by the same margin away toSporting CP.[26]
Inhis second season in charge, Espírito Santo's team reached both theTaça de Portugal andTaça da Liga finals, thereforeleading them to theUEFA Europa League for the first time in their history.[27]
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Espírito Santo signed a one-year contract withValencia inLa Liga on 4 July 2014, replacingJuan Antonio Pizzi.[28] On 12 January 2015, he agreed to an extension to keep him at the club until 2018,[29] and he eventually led them to a fourth place finish inhis first season,[30] Highlights included a 2–1 home win overReal Madrid and a 2–2 away draw against the same opponent,[31][32] while he was namedLa Liga Manager of the Month three times.[33] He resigned on 29 November 2015, following a 1–0 away defeat toSevilla, after a poor start to both Valencia's La Liga and Champions League campaigns.[34]
During his time at Valencia, Espírito Santo, his agent Jorge Mendes and club ownerPeter Lim were criticised for signing the agent's clients.[35][36]Roberto Ayala, who won several trophies as a Valencia player and later became ascout, left the club, alleging that they were signing such players for inflated fees.[37]
On 1 June 2016, Espírito Santo signed a two-year contract with Porto, replacing former head coachJosé Peseiro.[38] His first game on 12 August was a return to theEstádio dos Arcos, where his team came from behind to beat Rio Ave 3–1.[39] However, aftera season devoid of silverware which included asecond-place finish in the league,[40] he was relieved of his duties on 22 May 2017.[41]
On 31 May 2017, Espírito Santo was named as the new head coach ofEFL Championship clubWolverhampton Wanderers, signing a three-year contract.[42] He was voted the competition'sManager of the Month in November as his team won all four of their games, scoring 13 goals.[43] Espírito Santo led the club to thePremier League after a six-year absence, achieving promotion with four matches remaining inthe season[44] and being confirmed as champions with two games to spare.[45] On 10 July 2018, it was announced that his contract had been extended until 2021.[46]
Espírito Santo was awarded thePremier League Manager of the Month title in his second month managing in the English top division[47] after his team went unbeaten in September 2018, accruing ten points from four matches and only conceding one goal. It was the first time that a Wolves manager had secured the award, in the club's fifth season in the competition.[48] Wolves finished seventh in the2018–19 league season; it was the club's highest Premier League ranking, and their highest in the English top-flight since the1979–80 season when they finished sixth.[citation needed] Wolves also qualified for a European competition for the first time since the1980–81 UEFA Cup, reaching the UEFA Europa League.[49]
Espírito Santo was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month title for a second time on 10 July 2020 for a run of five fixtures unbeaten between the beginning of March and the end of June, sandwiching the temporary suspension of the2019–20 Premier League due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[50] The run included four wins and four clean sheets. The season saw Espírito Santo's team achieve a second consecutive seventh-place finish in the Premier League (with a record points total for Wolves in the Premier League of 59), and reach the quarter-finals of theUEFA Europa League, the club's best such performance since beingfinalists in the1971–72 UEFA Cup.[51]
On 13 September 2020, at the outset of the2020–21 season, Espírito Santo's contract at the club was extended until summer 2023.[52] He was named the Premier League Manager of the Month for October with a run of four fixtures unbeaten, including three wins without conceding; this was the third time he had received the award.[53] On 27 February 2021, he took charge of his 102nd Premier League game as Wolves head coach as his team played out a 1–1 draw withNewcastle United atSt James' Park, surpassingMick McCarthy as the longest-serving Wolves head coach in the Premier League era.[54] On 21 May, Wolves announced that Espírito Santo would leave the club by mutual consent at the end of the season.[55]
On 30 June 2021,Tottenham Hotspur announced Espírito Santo as their new head coach on a two-year contract with an option to extend for a third year.[56] On his debut on 15 August, the team won 1–0 at home against reigning championsManchester City through aSon Heung-min goal.[57] On 29 August, he achieved the best start to a Premier League season for Tottenham after beatingWatford to secure three wins from their first three matches. He won thePremier League Manager of the Month award for August, the fourth of his career.[58] On 1 November, after his team lost 3–0 at home toManchester United, their fifth loss in seven matches and which left them ninth in the table, Espírito Santo was dismissed after less than four months in charge.[59] He was replaced the following day byAntonio Conte.[60]
On 4 July 2022, Espírito Santo was appointed byAl-Ittihad in theSaudi Pro League.[61] He held talks for a return to Wolves in October.[62] He won the2022 Saudi Super Cup on 29 January 2023 with a 2–0final win overAl Fayha.[63] On 27 May, he won the club's first league title in 14 years, also after beatingAl-Fayha 3–0 with one match remaining in the league.[64]
Espírito Santo was dismissed on 8 November 2023, two days after a 2–0 loss to Iraqi clubAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the2023–24 AFC Champions League.[65][66]
On 20 December 2023, Espírito Santo was appointed head coach of Premier League clubNottingham Forest, following the dismissal ofSteve Cooper.[67] His appointment at Nottingham Forest also reunited him with former players at Wolves, such asMorgan Gibbs-White andWilly Boly.
The side's first win under his tenure came on 26 December as they beatNewcastle United 3–1.[68] This was followed by a 2–1 home win againstManchester United, which was Forest's first Premier League victory over the club in 29 years.[69][70]
On the final day ofthe season, Espírito Santo led Forest to a 2–1 away win overBurnley to secure the club's survival from relegation with a 17th-placed finish in the league.[71]
On 14 September 2024, Espírito Santo led Forest to a 1–0 away win overLiverpool atAnfield, which was the first time the club had won at Liverpool in any competition since February 1969,[72] ending a 25-game winless run at Anfield, and securing Espírito Santo's first ever Premier League victory against Liverpool.[73]Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute.
Espírito Santo led Nottingham Forest to their first win atOld Trafford since 1994 on 7 December 2024, securing a 3–2 victory overManchester United.[74]
After securing a sixth consecutive Premier League win with a 3–0 away victory overWolverhampton Wanderers atMolineux on 6 January 2025, Nottingham Forest sat third in the Premier League table on the same 40-point total asArsenal in second place.[75] This defied the expectations of many journalists and pundits, who had predicted at the start of the season that Forest would struggle and get relegated to theEFL Championship.[76] Subsequently, Espírito Santo won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for his oversight of Forest's performances in December 2024.[77]
In April 2025, Espírito Santo was announced as the Premier League Manager of the Month for March. This marks the third time he has won the award this season, having previously claimed it in October and December 2024. He became the first Nottingham Forest manager to win the award three times in a single season.[78] He ultimately led the club to aseventh-place finish and qualification for theEuropa League, marking their first participation in European football in 30 years.[79]
On 21 June 2025, Nuno signed a new contract to stay with Nottingham Forest until 2028.[80] However, on 9 September 2025, he was dismissed from his duties only three Premier League games into thenew season.[81] His departure was primarly due to his relationship with ownerEvangelos Marinakis breaking down over the summer, with Nuno also publically expressing his displeasure with the club's activity in the transfer market.[82]
On 27 September 2025, Espírito Santo was appointed head coach of Premier League clubWest Ham United on a three-year contract, following the dismissal ofGraham Potter. His arrival meant that he would reunite with former Wolves playerMaximilian Kilman.[83] He started his tenure as manager with a 1–1 draw at theHill Dickinson Stadium againstEverton on 29 September.[84] On 1st November, his first win came in a 3-1 win over Newcastle United with goals fromLucas Paquetá,Tomáš Souček and an own goal fromSven Botman and it was the first time the Hammers won at home since beatingLeicester City 2-0 in February.[85]
Espírito Santo and his wife Sandra have three children as of 2020.[86] On 4 May 2019, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Sport by theUniversity of Wolverhampton.[87]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Rio Ave | 15 May 2012 | 19 May 2014 | 80 | 32 | 17 | 31 | 040.00 |
| Valencia | 4 July 2014 | 29 November 2015 | 62 | 32 | 16 | 14 | 051.61 |
| Porto | 1 June 2016 | 22 May 2017 | 49 | 27 | 16 | 6 | 055.10 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 31 May 2017 | 23 May 2021 | 199 | 95 | 49 | 55 | 047.74 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 30 June 2021 | 1 November 2021 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 047.06 |
| Al-Ittihad | 4 July 2022 | 7 November 2023 | 56 | 36 | 12 | 8 | 064.29 |
| Nottingham Forest | 20 December 2023 | 9 September 2025 | 73 | 28 | 20 | 25 | 038.36 |
| West Ham United | 27 September 2025 | Present | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 028.57 |
| Total | 543 | 260 | 134 | 149 | 047.88 | ||
Deportivo
Porto
Individual
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Al-Ittihad
Individual
Portugal squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
