Nuno Espírito Santo will continue as West Ham manager as the club seek to return to the Premier League after relegation.
His departure had been expected only for a change of heart at boardroom level. Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire and the second-largest shareholder, is believed to have wanted Nuno to stay, with David Sullivan, the largest shareholder, less certain about the coach who replaced Graham Potter last September.
Talks were held with Nuno, and on Wednesday morning there was confirmation the former Wolves manager, who led that club up from the Championship in the 2017-18 season and established them as a Premier League side, will stay. Nuno’s contract contained a clause allowing his sacking without paying compensation.
“We held meetings with head coach Nuno Espírito Santo early this week and are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his continued commitment to the club – as we have to him,” a statement said. “Nuno made it very clear that he is highly motivated for the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top flight at the first time of asking. That must be the unquestionable goal for next season.”
Scott Parker, the former West Ham captain who last month departed Burnley and has won three promotions from the Championship, had been a mooted candidate for any vacancy, as were Gary O’Neil, who is at Strasbourg, and West Ham’s former manager Slaven Bilic. Instead, the West Ham will stick with a manager who inherited a team from Potter on three points and took the relegation fight to the last day. The team finished on 39 points, the highest total for a relegated team since 2011.
The statement said: “While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the board of directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress.”
After Sunday’s 3-0 defeat of Leeds, in vain as Tottenham edged to safety, Nuno was non-committal on his future. “It’s not about me,” he said. “We are in a tough place and West Ham has to go back in the Premier League. But now we have to go through this period of sadness, understanding the frustration and anger of the fans.”
With club finances negatively affected by the drop, a summer of change awaits. The trading out of assets is expected, including the captain, Jarrod Bowen, and the 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes, a rare shining light of the season. After relegation was confirmed, Bowen said: “I want this club to be in the Premier League. It’s a club that means so much to me. My vision is to get this club back in the Premier League.”
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That may require Bowen, 30 this December, to depart, the club still owing significant funds on previous transfer business. As part of Wednesday’s statement, the club announced they would reduce season ticket prices by up to 30%.
Kretinsky’s leading role in the Nuno decision signals a change in the boardroom hierarchy. The Czech billionaire, who owns Sparta Prague and the Royal Mail, is lined up to increase his stake and match Sullivan’s control. Kretinsky and Sullivan are each poised to buy a portion of the Gold family’s 25.1% stake, left by the late co-owner David. It is thought relegation will affect the value of the deal, though Championship football will reduce the rental rate on the London Stadium, a reduction the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, estimates at £2.5m, which is to be picked up by London’s taxpayers.