West Ham Confirms Nuno Santo's Position Despite Relegation

West Ham United announced on Wednesday that it will keep its Portuguese head coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, in his position despite the team's relegation from the English Premier League after the final round of the season.

The "Hammers" finished in eighteenth place in the league standings, confirming their drop to the Championship for the first time since 2011.

In an official statement, the London club said, "Although the final result on Sunday was extremely painful, the board believes there are broad signs of improvement and progress made in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue working to develop this progress."

West Ham ended the season with 19 losses and 10 wins, finishing just two points behind their traditional rival Tottenham Hotspur. Despite Nuno's team winning their last match with a 3-0 victory over Leeds United, Tottenham's 1-0 win against Everton secured their survival and sent West Ham down to the lower division.

The prospect of relegation had begun to emerge earlier this month when the team suffered three consecutive defeats against Brentford, Arsenal, and Newcastle United, which caused the "Hammers" to lose control over their fate on the final day.

The club indicated that meetings were held with Santo earlier this week, during which the Portuguese coach expressed his full commitment to the club. Santo joined West Ham last September on a three-year contract, succeeding the dismissed manager Graham Potter.

With this decision, West Ham's management is placing its bet on maintaining coaching stability as a fundamental pillar for the task of restoring the team's status in the top flight next season.

The board added that it has noticed "a clear improvement in the team's mentality and the spirit of harmony among the players" since last January, considering the 52-year-old coach the ideal candidate to lead the efforts to return to the Premier League in the upcoming season.

The club emphasized, "Santo has made it clear that he is highly motivated by the challenge of returning West Ham United to the top flight on the first attempt, and that must be the non-negotiable goal for the next season."

It also noted that Santo previously had one experience in the English Championship, which was exceptionally successful when he accumulated 99 points and led Wolverhampton to the title in 2018.

Additionally, West Ham announced plans to reduce season ticket prices by up to 30% following the team's relegation.