Nuno Espirito Santo · Biography

On 7 May 2014, at the Estádio Municipal in Leiria, Nuno Espírito Santo’s Rio Ave lost 2-0 to Benfica in the Taça da Liga final. A modest side from Vila do Conde, led by a coach in only his second season in charge, had reached a national cup final. That campaign launched a coaching career that would take him to Spain, Portugal, England and Saudi Arabia. Nuno Herlânio Árabe Espírito Santo was born on 25 January 1974 in São Tomé, in the archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe, and before coaching he spent almost two decades as a professional goalkeeper.

A goalkeeper between Portugal and Spain

He came through at Vitória de Guimarães, the club where he made his professional debut in the 1990s and which loaned him out to gain playing time in the lower divisions. In 1997 he moved to Spain to join Deportivo de La Coruña. Competition for the goalkeeper’s jersey at Riazor was fierce, and he spent several seasons on loan, including spells at Mérida and Osasuna, where he did get top-flight games.

In 2002 he returned to Portugal to join Porto. He was mostly a substitute there, but he was part of the squad that won the 2004 Champions League under José Mourinho. After a spell at Dynamo Moscow he went back to Porto, where he ended his playing career in 2010.

First steps in the dugout

On retiring he joined Jesualdo Ferreira’s coaching staff as an assistant, working with him at Málaga and at Greek side Panathinaikos between 2010 and 2012. In 2012 he took his first head coach job at Rio Ave. In his second season, 2013-14, he led the club to both Portuguese cup finals, the Taça da Liga and the Taça de Portugal, losing both to Benfica. The run earned Rio Ave a place in the Europa League.

Valencia and a return to Porto

In the summer of 2014 he signed with Valencia. In his first season, 2014-15, the team finished fourth in LaLiga and qualified for the Champions League play-off round, which they came through. The following campaign started unevenly and he resigned in November 2015.

In 2016 he returned to Porto, this time as head coach. The team finished the 2016-17 Primeira Liga in second place, behind Benfica, and reached the Champions League round of 16. He left the post at the end of that season.

The Wolverhampton years

In May 2017 he took over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English second tier. In his first campaign he won the 2017-18 Championship title and brought the club back to the Premier League. There Wolves finished seventh in both 2018-19 and 2019-20, reached the 2019 FA Cup semi-finals and the 2020 Europa League quarter-finals, where they went out to Sevilla. His side was built on a back three, long-running wing-backs and a strong Portuguese contingent. He left the club in May 2021, at the end of his fourth season.

Tottenham and Saudi Arabia

In June 2021 he was appointed Tottenham Hotspur head coach. He won his first three league games, but results dropped off in the autumn and the club dismissed him in November 2021, after less than five months in charge.

In July 2022 he signed with Al-Ittihad. In 2022-23 he won the Saudi Pro League and the Saudi Super Cup, the club’s first league title since 2009. He was dismissed in November 2023.

Nottingham Forest and West Ham

In December 2023 he replaced Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest, with the team near the bottom of the Premier League. He kept them up in 2023-24, and in 2024-25 he led Forest to seventh place in the Premier League, their best finish in decades, with a European place. The club parted company with him in September 2025, and that same month he was named head coach of West Ham United.