Looking back, Nuno Espirito Santo solemnly swore to keep the tears at bay when he said farewell to Wolves.
The 51-year-old was an integral part of the west Midlands side for four seasons, steering them into the Premier League spotlight after a six-year absence. The Portuguese coach, fresh from securing European football with Nottingham Forest last Sunday, also led Wolves to a historic seventh-place finish in their first season back in the upper echelons of English football.
This success didn’t just end there; it also culminated in securing a spot in the Europa League – marking Wolves’ grand return to European competition since their ventures in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup. Nuno’s third season saw Wolves replicate their seventh place-finish and make waves by reaching the Europa League quarter-finals.
The 2020/21 campaign, however, saw them spiral down to a 13th place under Nuno’s guidance. His exit was mutually agreed upon and made public two days before the last matchday.
During what would be his final charge over the team, Wolves succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United. This match was notable as it welcomed supporters back to Molineux for the first time in that season, amidst the Covid pandemic disruptions.
In post-match sentiments, he expressed: “I promised I would stay strong but it was very special and emotional, I will miss it. [I] thanked each and every one of them for all the effort and the commitment, the help [in] tough moments [and] how we celebrated together.”
When asked about the significance of receiving a farewell from the club’s supporters, he said: “It means a lot, it means that football is back and this is the first game of football that we love with fans and [the] atmosphere was special.”
(Image: 2021 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
He then made a move to Tottenham Hotspur that summer but his tenure was short-lived, lasting less than four months after being dismissed. A string of five defeats in seven matches left Spurs languishing in ninth place by November.
Following a stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, he made a comeback to English football at Forest, where he played a pivotal role in ensuring their Premier League status with a 2-1 victory over Burnley on the final day of the previous season.
Forest’s recent 2-2 draw against Leicester City has guaranteed them European football next term for the first time since 1996, capping off an extraordinary season for the club that has twice lifted the European Cup.
Despite this success, Nuno found himself in a post-match confrontation with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. He revealed that Marinakis’ frustration stemmed from Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury, which resulted in the team being reduced to ten men after all substitution slots were used.
(Image: GETTY)
Awoniyi, who came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute, collided with the goalpost shortly afterwards. Although he initially seemed able to continue, his evident pain eventually led to him leaving the pitch.
A miscommunication between the physios and the bench meant they missed the chance to make a final substitution.
“It was due to the situation,” the Forest manager commented post-match. “There was a confusion over the situation of T [Taiwo Awoniyi].
“There was frustration to play 10 minutes with a player that had so much confidence and being positive that he’s going to score. We made the sub, then played with one man less. That causes frustration, it’s obvious.”
The on-field drama sparked widespread debate, with Gary Neville openly criticizing Marinakis’ actions and even advising Nuno to part ways with the club immediately.
“Scandalous from that Forest owner,” the Manchester United legend raged on X. “Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.”
Jamie Carragher echoed his sentiments while on duty for Sky Sports, as the Liverpool icon instructed Marinakis to “get off the pitch” before branding the businessman “embarrassing”. Despite Nuno’s passionate nature, he managed to keep his emotions under control this time around and appears set to disregard Neville’s suggestion of resigning from another Premier League role.
