Ange Postecoglou appointed Nottingham Forest head coach

Nottingham Forest confirmed on Tuesday that Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as the club’s first-team head coach, replacing Nuno Espírito Santo.

Postecoglou, 60, is thought to have signed a deal until the end of next season and will take charge of Forest’s Premier League trip to Arsenal on Saturday. The club said the appointment follows the dismissal of Nuno after remarks the owner described as unacceptable during the early weeks of the campaign.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis issued an effusive statement welcoming Postecoglou to the City Ground, saying the Australian had "a proven and consistent record of winning trophies" and that his experience at the highest level made him the right candidate to "build something special" at the club. "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," Marinakis said.

The club’s announcement gave few details on the make-up of Postecoglou’s backroom staff. Reports indicate that several members of his coaching team at Tottenham, including Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo, left Spurs with him and may rejoin him at the City Ground. Forest said only that Postecoglou arrives with more than 25 years’ management experience "regularly competing and winning trophies at the highest level."

Postecoglou led Tottenham Hotspur to last season’s Europa League title and has been recognised in his native Greek community; he received an award from the Greek Super League earlier this year and has spoken publicly about his Greek heritage. Marinakis, who attended that ceremony, praised Postecoglou’s pride in his origins and said his achievements had brought positive attention to Greece.

Nuno’s departure comes after a brief and fractious start to the season. The club did not set out detailed reasons in Tuesday’s statement beyond citing the need to move in a different direction. Nuno had overseen Forest’s rise back to the Premier League and a seventh-place finish last season, a performance the new appointment is expected to build on.

Postecoglou will face an early test at Arsenal, the city rivals of his former club Tottenham. Forest’s supporters and hierarchy will watch closely to see how quickly the new coach imposes his style and integrates any incoming or returning staff. The club has not yet confirmed whether Postecoglou will retain any members of Nuno’s previous coaching group or announce additions to his backroom team.

Forest’s announcement arrived as the Premier League season continues to gather pace, and the club signalled its ambition to compete for higher league places and trophies. Further details on Postecoglou’s contract and coaching appointments were not provided by the club on Tuesday.