Wolverhampton coach Nuno Espirito Santo to leave at season’s end
Sports Desk, May 21 (EFE).- Wolverhampton’s upcoming season finale against Manchester United will be manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s last with Wolves, the Premier League club said Friday.
The departure of the 47-year-old Portuguese coach is by “mutual agreement,” according to a statement from Wolverhampton executive chairman Jeff Shi.
Wolves were playing in England’s second division when Nuno came to Molineux in 2017 and he needed just one season to guide them back into the top flight after a six-year absence.
The team finished seventh in their first two Premier League campaigns with Nuno, qualifying for the 2019-2020 Europa League to end a nearly 40-year drought in European play.
But Wolves, now 12th, have struggled this season amid injuries to key contributors such as striker Raul Jimenez, out of action since last November after suffering a fractured skull.
“Nuno has brought us some incredibly special moments at Wolves that will never be forgotten, but every chapter comes to an end,” Shi said.
“His loyalty and dedication over the last four years has been immeasurable, and we cannot thank him enough for the progress he has made for Wolves,” the club’s executive chairman said two days before the side are set to host Man United with 4,500 supporters in the stands.
“Sunday was already going to be a very special day, welcoming our supporters back for the first time in more than a year; but it will also now be a fitting goodbye for someone who will forever remain an important part of Wolves history,” Shi said.
Nuno, who took Portugal’s Rio Ave to two cup finals and Valencia to a top-four finish in LaLiga before coming to England, expressed satisfaction with his tenure at Wolverhampton.
“Our ambition was to make a positive change and push this football club forward, and I am proud to say that we did that every single day,” Nuno said in a statement. “We achieved our goals, we did it with passion and we did it together.
Wolverhampton have spoken with former Benfica coach Bruno Lage about succeeding Nuno, the Guardian reported Friday. EFE
er/dr
