West Ham sack head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after Championship promotion push falters

West Ham United have dismissed head coach Nuno Espirito Santo following a poor start to their Championship season. The 52-year-old coach, who took charge in September 2025, led the team to relegation from the Premier League last season. West Ham, who were favorites for automatic promotion, currently sit eighth in the table, six points behind leaders Middlesbrough.

They have won only two of their last six matches, having suffered consecutive home losses to Southampton and West Bromwich Albion. Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa have also departed the club. Mark Noble, Steve Potts, and Gerard Prenderville will temporarily oversee the team for an upcoming away match against Cardiff City.

The club released a statement expressing gratitude for the work and dedication of Espirito Santo, Rui, and Barbosa, and stating that a new head coach will be recruited shortly. This decision marks West Ham's fourth permanent managerial change since David Moyes left in May 2024. Previous managers, including Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter, have struggled to improve the team's performance.

The Hammers' recent struggles began with three consecutive league losses and a table position of 19th at the start of the season. While they did top the table for a brief period after a four-match winning streak in early September, only two victories have been recorded since then.