Ange Postecoglou set for Premier League return as Nottingham Forest’s new head coach | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou is set to be appointed as Nottingham Forest’s new head coach following the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Australian is expected to be confirmed within the next 24 hours and is in line to take charge for Forest’s Premier League trip to Arsenal on Saturday. He is expected to be joined at the City Ground by members of his former Tottenham Hotspur coaching staff.

Postecoglou, 60, has been out of management since leaving Spurs in June. His departure came only weeks after he guided the north London club to their first trophy in 17 years, beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.

However, a 17th-place finish in the league and 22 defeats over the season prompted the club to make a change.

Despite that turbulent campaign, his reputation remained strong. He was briefly considered by Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli and had contact with Brentford about replacing Thomas Frank, though both opportunities passed.

Forest’s opening created a swift route back to the Premier League.

Postecoglou has built his career through a variety of challenges. After two decades in Australian club football and a four-year spell in charge of the national team, he won the J-League with Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019.

He then moved to Scotland, where he collected five trophies in two years with Celtic, including consecutive league titles, before taking charge at Spurs in 2023.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has previously spoken warmly about Postecoglou, praising both his Greek heritage and his success in Europe.

Presenting him with an award in Greece in July, Marinakis said Postecoglou’s achievement at Tottenham “promoted Greece” on the global stage.

Postecoglou replaces Nuno, who left Forest in the last few hours after his relationship with Marinakis and new global head of football Edu deteriorated.

Nuno guided Forest to safety in 2023-24 and then to a seventh-place finish last season, securing a Europa League spot and marking the club’s first European campaign in 30 years.

However, tension grew over recruitment, with Nuno criticising the club’s preparations for the new season. Despite Forest investing nearly £200m in 13 summer signings, his position became untenable after a poor start and a 3-0 defeat to West Ham before the international break.

Forest sit 10th in the table with four points from three matches. Postecoglou’s first task will be to steady a squad that has undergone major changes and guide them into Europe’s second-tier competition later this season.