Nottingham Forest extends manager Nuno Espirito Santo's contract after European qualification
Associated Press
NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been rewarded with a contract extension for leading the club to its first European qualification for almost 30 years.
The 51-year-old Nuno signed a three-year deal to stay at the City Ground until at least 2028, the Premier League club said on its website Saturday.
'Nuno masterminded an incredible 2024-25 season for Forest, guiding the club to its highest league finish in 30 years and thus qualifying for UEFA European competition for the first time since 1995-96,' the club said.
Nuno's team enjoyed away wins over Liverpool and Manchester United, and strung together the club's longest top-flight winning streak since 1967.
Forest was on course for Champions League qualification after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away in April, but only one more win in the last five games meant it had to settle for seventh place. Only the top five qualified for Europe's premier competition.
Forest had to settle for the third-tier Conference League competition — and will learn its playoff-round opponent when the Aug. 4 draw is made.
Club owner Evangelos Marinakis remonstrated with Nuno on the field after a 2-2 draw with Midlands rival Leicester dented its Champions League hopes. The club later said that Marinakis' concern was about the handling of injured player Taiwo Awoniyi.
On Saturday, Marinakis only had words of praise.
'Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far,' the Greek businessman said. 'He has demonstrated that he maximizes player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up.'
Nuno, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham, took over at Forest from the fired Steve Cooper in December 2023 and helped the team avoid relegation on the final day of the season.
'I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club,' the manager from the island country of São Tomé and Príncipe said of his contract extension. 'Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season.'
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds odds, predictions: FIFA Club World Cup picks, best bets Saturday
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. We should get a pretty good idea of how seriously Inter Milan is taking the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday. The Italians were not at their best in a 1-1 draw against Monterrey in their opening match, adding to concerns that Inter would have a tough time getting up for this tournament after a grueling season that saw them finish as runners-up in both Serie A and the Champions League. Inter had a two-week break before heading to North America for the Club World Cup after falling just short of a historic season, so it's not a shock they were stodgy in their tilt with Monterrey. Inter fell behind by one goal early, but clawed back into the match and secured a 1-1 draw. Saturday's match with Urawa Red Diamonds should be a walk in the park for La Beneamata on paper, but if Inter are disinterested, the Japanese side are a threat to pull off a stunner at Lumen Field in Seattle. Urawa were also uninspiring in their opening match, a 3-1 loss to River Plate, and they'll likely need to pull the upset to have any chance of moving on in this tournament. The Red Diamonds were the only team in Group E that didn't get a point, and they'll be underdogs again in their final match of Round 1 against Monterrey. Yann Sommer of Inter Milan during a break in play at the FIFA Club World Cup. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters It's a massive ask, but Urawa have to go for this win. That should lead to a more aggressive approach from the Japanese side, which should leave them vulnerable to Inter's counterattack. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps And given how they defended against River Plate, that could lead to disaster. If Inter brings anything close to their A-game, they should be able to get us to this Over on their own. The Play: Over 3.5 goals (+130, FanDuel) Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mo Salah hands Arne Slot NEW issue to solve
Liverpool are well on their way to something special, given their bravado in the transfer market. High quality players are being brought in to supplement the Premier League title winners in the dressing room. The Reds will once again be a serious force to be reckoned with next season. Advertisement Retaining the title is the aim and the club's activity signifies the sort of intent that we haven't seen before. This summer will be the first transfer window where we will have spent over £200m. But with change's in the team come the possibility for the side to be disjointed compared to the compact unit that Liverpool were running with last season. A weakness has already been identified. © IMAGO Liverpool ALREADY have a problem to solve for next season In addition to Ryan Gravenberch missing the opening game of the season due to a red card he received in the last game of the 2024/25 campaign, Liverpool have another issue to address. Advertisement Mohamed Salah will be going to the African Cup Of Nations (AfCON) this year, which takes place between December 21, 2025 and January 18, 2026, which is mid-way through the Premier League. The competition happens once every two years and Liverpool fans will be well accustomed to the stress of seeing the Egyptian play for his country, hoping he doesn't get injured during the games. But alongside that, his absence creates a significant headache for the Reds to solve. Salah's constant availability makes him one of our most reliable players, and as such, he plays in almost every game he can. Liverpool's reliance on him, however, becomes a real problem in these seasons. The last time we had to deal with Salah's absence was the 2023/24 campaign, when the tournament was based predominantly in January, and he suffered a slight injury which set back his return. Advertisement In that period, Liverpool made it through to a Carabao Cup final after beating Fulham over two legs, they beat Arsenal and Norwich to progress through the third and fourth round of the FA Cup, and only three points were dropped from 12 available in the Premier League. The team scrambled hard. This time around, Liverpool will have to come up with other solutions to their problem. The guy they'll be missing is literally the current golden boot and playmaker winner, and the player of the season. During the group stage of this year's edition of the tournament, he will miss Tottenham (A), Wolves (H) and Leeds United (H), although progress to the final would mean he would also miss Fulham (A), Arsenal (A) and Burnley (H) before he could return to Merseyside and be re-embedded into the team. Nonetheless, Liverpool will have been aware of this likelihood for some time, it's the specific fixtures he'll be missing that make up the real update here, although finding a way to succeed without Salah is going to be a real test for Arne Slot throughout this upcoming campaign. Let's see how it unfolds.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift captured enjoying surprise date night at trendy NYC Italian restaurant
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift enjoyed a surprise date night at a trendy New York City Italian restaurant Friday night, and their exit was captured by a stunned fan across the street. The power couple was captured exiting Torrisi, housed in the historic Puck Building on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, after arriving in NYC on a private jet earlier in the day. 5 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce exit Torrisi in NYC on Friday night. @javanjoslin/Instagram Advertisement Kelce wore similar clothes to what he arrived in, as he donned a white short-sleeved shirt with two buttons, a round blue collar and 'US Soccer' across the front in blue, in addition to white shorts and white sneakers. Swift had on a light blue strappy top with a white pleated mini skirt and white pointy stilettos shoes, to go along with a mini shoulder bag. Advertisement The couple appeared to be getting some quality time together after a slimmed-down Kelce finished up a three-day minicamp with the Chiefs as the team looks to avenge its Super Bowl 2025 loss to the Eagles. As they exited Torrisi, Kelce and Swift talked briefly before the star tight end held his girlfriend's hand to help her into the awaiting car. 5 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce chat for a moment outside Torrisi in NYC on Friday night. @javanjoslin/Instagram 5 Travis Kelce helps Taylor Swift into their awaiting car after dinner in NYC on Friday night. @javanjoslin/Instagram Advertisement Kelce and Swift spent much of his offseason out of the public eye, but have reemerged in recent months. They took in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and Oilers last Thursday during their vacation time in Florida and saw a thrilling 5-4 Edmonton win. 5 Taylor Swift, left, and Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce, front right, take in the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. AP Kelce was also at the Cannes film festival this week with his brother Jason as part of the Amazon Port Panel. Advertisement Retirement rumors swirled around Travis Kelce after the Super Bowl loss, but he chose to return to Kansas City for, what is for now, the final year on his contract after a disappointing 2024 season. 5 Travis Kelce during a drill on June 17, 2025. AP He told reporters Thursday that coming back wasn't a tough decision. 'I love football. I don't think I really thought about it that much. My friends and family and the team and the guys and women in this building, I love coming into work every single day,' the 35-year-old said. 'It wasn't a very tough one for me. I know I'm getting older, but at the same time, I still feel like I got a lot that I can prove in this league … It really wasn't that hard of a decision for me.'
