Nottingham Forest have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach on a contract until June 2027, just hours after parting ways with Nuno Espirito Santo amid a public fallout with club owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The 60-year-old Australian, who guided Spurs to Europa League glory in May before being dismissed 16 days later due to a dismal 17th-place Premier League finish, reached an agreement with Forest early Tuesday morning.

Postecoglou was spotted at the club's training ground ahead of an official announcement later today, with his first match in charge set for Saturday's trip to Arsenal - his Premier League return after three months out of work.

Several members of his Tottenham backroom staff are expected to join him, signaling a swift transition as Forest prepare for their Europa League campaign, which Nuno helped secure with last season's seventh-place finish - their best in over two decades.

Nuno's departure, announced at 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, ended his 21-month stint that began in December 2023 when he rescued Forest from relegation and built toward European qualification. 

The Portuguese coach signed a new three-year deal in June after a strong 2024-25 campaign, but tensions escalated over the summer. He openly criticized the club's £100 million transfer window spending—on players like James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Douglas Luiz—as "unbalanced" and leaving the squad "very, very far" from ready, despite a mixed start to the season: a win, a draw, and a 3-0 home loss to West Ham.

The rift deepened with Forest's global head of football, Edu Gaspar—recently appointed after leaving Arsenal—and Marinakis, who felt betrayed by Nuno's public comments. In late August, Nuno admitted their once-close relationship had soured: "It's not the same... The reality is that it's not what it used to be." He even hinted at his exit by saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire," ahead of planned peace talks during the international break. Marinakis, hurt by the remarks, acted decisively without reconciliation, delivering the news via sporting director Ross Wilson.

Forest's statement praised Nuno's contributions, especially in etching the club into European football for the first time since 1995: "He will always hold a special place in our journey." Yet behind the scenes, the discord overshadowed his achievements, with players reportedly losing faith amid the instability.