West Ham United have parted ways with head coach Nuno Espírito Santo following a disappointing start to their EFL Championship campaign, with the club confirming his departure with immediate effect on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The decision comes after consecutive home defeats against Southampton and West Bromwich Albion left the Hammers eighth in the Championship standings, denting their ambitions of securing an immediate return to the Premier League.
West Ham’s latest setback was a 3-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at the London Stadium on Saturday, a result that increased pressure on the Portuguese tactician.
In a statement announcing the decision, the club’s board said a change in leadership was necessary after reviewing the team’s performances at the start of the season.
“Following a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season, the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the Club’s objectives and expectations remain on track,” the statement read.
Nuno joined West Ham in September 2025 after replacing Graham Potter, but was unable to prevent the club from suffering relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Despite the relegation, the club initially retained his services, tasking him with leading their promotion campaign and returning them to England’s top flight.
However, the team’s inconsistent performances and recent defeats have forced the club’s hierarchy to make a managerial change.
West Ham also confirmed the departures of assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa alongside Nuno.
Meanwhile, sporting director Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville will temporarily oversee squad preparations ahead of Wednesday’s Championship fixture against Cardiff City.
The club further revealed that the process of recruiting a new head coach is already underway, with the Hammers now facing the task of finding a replacement capable of reviving their promotion ambitions.
