Nottingham Forest have appointed Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, the club confirmed on Tuesday, just 24 hours after parting ways with Nuno Espirito Santo.
The 60-year-old Australian, who has signed a contract running through June 2027, will take charge of Forest’s upcoming Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Postecoglou returns to management just three months after being dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur, where he led the club to its first trophy in 17 years, the 2025 UEFA Europa League title, defeating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao.
Why Nottingham Forest Appointed Ange Postecoglou
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has revealed why Forest appointed Postecoglou. It is because of the manager’s proven track record of success across different leagues and cultures.
“We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies,” Marinakis said in a statement.
“His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions.”
The Greek shipping magnate added:
“After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies.”
“Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.”
Marinakis’ Long Admiration for Ange Postecoglou
Beyond footballing philosophy, Postecoglou shares cultural ties with Forest’s owner. Born in Greece before emigrating to Australia, he has long embraced his Hellenic roots.
In July, Marinakis presented him with an award in Greece, praising him for promoting Greek pride after Spurs’ Europa League triumph.
“A man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece.”
“We must thank him especially for this and we wish him well,” Marinakis said at the time.
Nuno Espirito Shoking Exit After European Breakthrough
Nuno Espirito Santos’s sudden dismissal came as a shock, only three games into the new season, given his role in guiding Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, their best league standing since 1996.
That finish secured European football for the first time in nearly three decades, with Forest entering the Europa League following Crystal Palace’s demotion to the UEFA Conference League under multi-club ownership (MCO) rules.
However, Nuno’s relationship with Forest’s hierarchy soured rapidly. Sources revealed he fell out with head of global football Edu Gaspar, while tensions also grew with owner Marinakis despite signing a new three-year contract in June.
Doubts over his future intensified after Nuno admitted publicly:
“I’m not close with Marinakis, and our relationship has changed. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so I know how things work, but I’m here to do my job.”
Ange Returns to Premier League; Replaces Nuno Espirito
Postecoglou takes over a Forest side coming off their best Premier League finish in three decades and significant summer investment of nearly £200 million.
At Tottenham, Postecoglou famously declared:
“I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year.”
During his two-season spell at Spurs, he delivered the UEFA Europa League title in May, the club’s first silverware in 17 years, beating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao.
Unfortunately, Spurs’ domestic form faltered, finishing fifth in 2023-24 before collapsing to 17th last season.
Just 16 days after their European triumph, Postecoglou was dismissed.
A Stylistic Shift at the City Ground
Postecoglou arrives at the City Ground to inherit and establish tactical shift to Forest’s squad drilled in Nuno’s risk-averse, counter-attacking football.
Postecoglou’s “Angeball” is possession-heavy and aggressive. Spurs under his leadership registered the second and fifth highest possession rates in the Premier League during his two seasons, while Forest ranked second and third lowest in the league in both years respectively.
The change will test a squad that has already adapted to one philosophy this season.
With no transfer window reinforcements available until January, the Australian tactician faces the immediate task of adapting his philosophy to the current squad while keeping results steady across a congested schedule of Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Europa League fixtures.
A Manager With Global Pedigree
Postecoglou’s résumé spans continents and includes success at every stop:
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Australia: Won domestic titles and managed the Socceroos (2013–2017), leading them to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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Japan: Guided Yokohama F. Marinos to the J-League title.
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Scotland: Claimed five trophies with Celtic, including back-to-back Premierships.
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England: Lifted Tottenham’s first major silverware since 2008 with the 2025 Europa League.
The Future of Nottingham Forest
Despite last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to West Ham, Forest remain a talented side with a squad bolstered by £200 million in summer transfers and led by stars such as Morgan Gibbs-White, who resisted interest from Spurs.
Postecoglou’s debut comes in the high-pressure test against Arsenal, European champions and Premier League rivals, on Saturday.
The Australian arrives with both unfinished business in England and a point to prove, determined to transform Forest into a consistent top-tier contender.
The expectation from Forest is not only stability, but trophies. However, if history is any guide, Postecoglou rarely leaves empty-handed. As Marinakis put it:
“Wherever he goes, the successes will come.”
The challenge is steep: balancing Premier League survival, domestic cup runs, and a Europa League campaign, while reshaping the team’s identity.
