West Ham United are deep into a relegation fight, with a win against Fulham bringing them level with Nottingham Forest in 17th.
Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest’s former manager, is now embroiled in a legal dispute with his former side. The Portuguese boss was controversially sacked earlier in the season before becoming Hammers boss, and is now planning to take his former employers to court.
The Athletic revealed that the West Ham boss, who could potentially relegate Forest this season, has hired lawyers in order to begin legal proceedings.
The precise terms of the disagreement have not been revealed but what it does highlight is just how bad the relationship became when Nuno was dismissed.
Nuno’s Forest fallout
The manager had signed a new three-year deal in June 2025. The contract came as a reward for getting Forest into Europe in the past season, with them looking to have another bumper year.
The club’s numerous amounts of success look set to continue this season, but following the appointment of former Arsenal technical director Edu, to Forest’s hierarchy, relationship’s began to fray.
Nuno and Edu clashed from their first meeting and when result’s didn’t go the optimal way, owner Evangelos Marinakis took Edu’s side in the argument and agree to walk away from Nuno. Since then, Forest have had three permanent’s managers and Edu is expected to leave the club after being told to stay away for the remainder of the season.
Given the recent signing of a new contract, Nuno would have expected a considerable pay off, but it is unknown whether this dispute is down to financial retribution. According to The Athletic, both sides have complaints about either party.
Nuno’s West Ham are now within touching distance of safety and Forest, being level on points with his former side. The other team in the relegation question is Tottenham Hotspur, anther of Nuno’s former teams.
Should the manager be able to keep the Hammers in the Premier League, it will most certainly be at the expense of a team he has already taken charge of in his career.
