Nuno Espirito Santo will remain in charge of West Ham despite the club’s relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
Espirito Santo’s Hammers suffered relegation on the final day of the Premier League season despite having beat Leeds 3-0 at the London Stadium, as Tottenham Hotspur scraped a 1-0 victory at home to Everton which sent their London rivals down.
Questions naturally swirled over the future of Espirito Santo but the Portuguese manager has agreed to remain in his position for the Hammers’ return to the Championship, having led fellow relegated club – Wolves to promotion from the second tier in 2017-18 season.
The club confirmed in a statement from the Board of Directors that Espirito Santo’s decision to stay was made following talks in the past 48 hours and is confident that he is ready for a promotion fight next season.
“The football operation always has to be our first priority and the planning for next season started as soon as the final whistle sounded on Sunday. 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.
“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.
“Nuno has spent one previous year in the EFL Championship and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018.”
The Board of Directors proceeded to address the relegation as they reflected on the poor campaign which wasn’t worthy of the fans’ support.
“Relegation is obviously not the outcome that anyone at West Ham United would have wanted when the Premier League season started last August. For every single person who is passionate about the Club, it hurts deeply and that feeling will sustain for some time.
“As a Board we cannot shy away from the fact our season has not been good enough. We know you, the supporters, have backed the team constantly as always and your loyalty and commitment has not been matched by our final league position. We also understand the frustration that many of you feel about the direction the Club has headed in recent years.
“Although relegation is not what any of us wanted, we now have to look forward. The Board must now review every aspect of the Club’s operation to ensure that when we return to the Premier League – hopefully in August 2027 – we are a better West Ham United in every way, on and off the pitch.”
The Board of Directors also addressed their form in the second half of the season which they believe justified the decision to retain Espirito Santo.
“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.
“A total of 25 points taken from our final 17 Premier League matches equated to 1.47 points per game – a ratio that would have resulted in a seventh-place finish across the full season.
“Furthermore, we feel the clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness since January, leading to that upturn in performances and results, makes him the right man to lead us forward.”
The club has also confirmed a reduction of up to 30% on season ticket prices for next season and are working on “clear and transparent” communication with supporters moving forward.
“We know we must also take steps to repair the Club’s relationship with its fanbase. We want West Ham United to be a Club that listens to all of our supporters and communicates with them in a clear and transparent way. Our new Interim Chief Executive Officer, Karim Virani has met with the elected Fan Advisory Board (FAB) several times during his first weeks in the role.
“We are committed to taking supporter feedback on board, and backing that up with real, significant actions – starting with reductions of up to 30% across all Season Ticket prices for next season. Full details will be shared directly with Season Ticket Holders and on our channels when the renewal window opens at 12noon today.
“We will be arranging further meetings with the FAB over the summer so they can help us shape our immediate strategy for more off-field improvements. A lot more work will be going into this priority area and we will share regular updates with you.
“We understand it has been a challenging and difficult time to be a West Ham United fan. And we know we have an immense responsibility to you and every supporter around the world to get this right.
“Together, we will take the Club back to where it belongs. The hard work to do that has already started.”