West Ham United has confirmed that manager Nuno Espirito Santo will remain in charge following the club's relegation from the Premier League. The decision was announced Wednesday after meetings were held early in the week between the Portuguese coach and the board of directors. West Ham stated that Nuno is highly motivated to guide the club back to the top flight at the first time of asking, a goal the club described as unquestionable for next season.
The club's relegation was finalized on Sunday despite a 3-0 victory over Leeds in the final round of games. Although West Ham showed improvement between January and April, taking 22 points from 13 matches, three defeats in the last four games allowed Tottenham to stay up at their expense. Nuno, who has been in charge since September, will now lead the fight for instant promotion.
The decision to retain the manager followed a period of internal division. While second-largest shareholder Daniel Kretinsky wanted Nuno to stay, largest shareholder David Sullivan was understood to be less sure. Following crisis talks on Monday, the board concluded that there had been broader signs of progress in recent months. Nuno previously demonstrated success in the second tier, winning the Championship with 99 points in 2018 while managing Wolverhampton.