LONDON, Dec 20, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed as

the new manager of Nottingham Forest, the Premier League club announced
Wednesday.

The 49-year-old Portuguese coach has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract
with the Midlands club after Forest sacked Steve Cooper on Tuesday.

Nuno returns to English football following a two-year absence since his
departure from Tottenham, with his first match in charge of Forest this
Saturday's game against Bournemouth.

"Nottingham Forest can today confirm the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo
as first team head coach," said a Forest statement.

"Nuno joins the club on a two-and-a-half-year contract and will take charge
of his first match on Saturday when Forest face Bournemouth at The City
Ground."

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in
November.

But he is now back in the Premier League two years after his sacking from an
ill-fated four-month spell at Tottenham.

Nuno also had four years in charge of Wolves, guiding the club to promotion
from the Championship in his first season in charge.

Wolves enjoyed consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League and a
run to the Europa League quarter-finals under Nuno's leadership.

Nuno replaces Cooper, who was sacked after a dismal run of one win in 13
Premier League games left Forest just one place above the relegation zone.

His exit from the City Ground came with Forest having lost five of their past
six games.

The 44-year-old led Forest to promotion to the Premier League in 2022, ending
a 23-year absence from the top flight.

Cooper had retained the support of Forest fans after taking them from the
bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

But with Cooper's summer of heavy investment in new signings failing to
deliver the required results, Forest's Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis
finally lost patience with the former Swansea boss.