West Ham have been relegated from the Premier League for the first time in 15 years – and the scale of the problems behind the scenes has now become clear.
Nuno Espirito Santo had a falling out with one of his players(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo reportedly refused to play for his team on Sunday following a heated argument with manager Nuno Espirito Santo. The Hammers were relegated to the Championship, despite winning 3-0 against Leeds, as Tottenham defeated Everton to ensure their safety.
Nuno’s side needed to win and Spurs lose to propel them to 17th place on the final day of the season. But Joao Palhinha’s scrappy first-half goal was enough for Roberto De Zerbi’s men to stay up and condemn their London rivals to defeat.
The examination of what went wrong has already begun at West Ham, with Nuno set to leave the club after crucial talks on Monday afternoon. And the depth of discontent behind the scenes is illustrated by Todibo’s falling out with the manager.
The 26-year-old has made 23 appearances for West Ham in the Premier League this season but was absent from the team against Leeds. The defender watched the match from the stands at the London Stadium after vowing to never play for Nuno again.
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Athletics reports that Todibo reacted angrily after being replaced by Nuno in the 26th minute of their 3-1 defeat to Newcastle in the penultimate match. The Hammers were already 2-0 down at that point and Nuno replaced the defender with striker Taty Castellanos, who then scored a consolation goal.
Todibo argued with Nuno over the decision and later complained to goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa and even refused to be named on the bench in the last match. The centre-back has already clashed with Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter and is unlikely to survive elimination in the summer transfer window.
However, his problem with Nuno will not last if he remains in east London, with the Portuguese boss set to leave following boardroom discussions. He only arrived in September to replace Potter, after a bitter exit from Nottingham Forest, but lost support.
“It’s not about me,” he said Sunday when asked about his future. “We are in a difficult situation and West Ham must return to the Premier League. But now we must get through this period of sadness, understanding the frustration and anger of the supporters.”
Pushed further, Nuno added: “You keep insisting [to ask] me about it and my mind is not there, you understand? Today, tomorrow, if we have a press conference, the next one, we will definitely be able to talk about it. But today it’s about understanding how difficult it is.
“I understand and we have to be ready for a lot of things that are going to come out in the press. About speculation, about all of us, about our future. But today is not the day to think about that.”
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