Nuno Espirito Santo will remain as West Ham United manager following a series of crisis meetings – at which differing viewpoints emerged between the club’s board.
The Portuguese was summoned to talks on Monday morning following the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League on Sunday.
It is understood that Nuno’s position was under serious threat, with a clause existing in his contract which meant that West Ham would not have to pay compensation should the club go down.
However, senior figures on the board are thought to have been split on the issue and those who did not want to press the button are thought to have prevailed.
As things stand, the 52-year-old will now be tasked with returning the Hammers to the top flight at the first attempt, although there may be changes elsewhere in the football structure.
It has been suggested that there was a difference in opinion between co-chairman David Sullivan and Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire who is West Ham’s second-highest shareholder, with the latter wanting to retain Nuno’s services.
Kretinsky is said to be looking to increase his stake in the club over the summer to match Sullivan’s.
Sullivan, who has been at the club for 16 years, has been the target of criticism from West Ham’s support on a regular basis throughout what has been a dismal season at the London Stadium.
In April, he lost his right-hand woman when Baroness Karren Brady stepped down as vice chair. She had also spent 16 years with West Ham.
In a statement released this morning the club’s board said: ‘Relegation is obviously not the outcome that anyone at West Ham United would have wanted. We know you, the supporters, have backed the team as always and your loyalty 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.
‘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.
‘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. Nuno has spent one previous year in the Championship and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018.
‘While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, 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.’
‘We held meetings with Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo early this week and are pleased to confirm that he has expressed his continued commitment to the Club – as we have to him’
West Ham’s majority owner David Sullivan’s girlfriend, Ampika Pickston, has insisted that finger-pointing ‘serves no merit’
Former United defender has recommended West Ham should guarantee captain Jarrod Bowen’s services in the Championship next season, too
