Nuno Espirito Santo offered a peek behind the curtain into the West Ham United dressing room after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on the final day.
The Hammers beat Leeds 3-0 to end on 39 points, a tally that would have been enough to secure survival in each of the last 14 campaigns.
Unfortunately, David Moyes’ Everton did not live up to their end of the bargain in North London.
Where was that all season? 🤦♂️ Tell us how you feel about West Ham’s 3-0 win vs Leeds…
West Ham have been relegated despite the victory 😢
Joao Palhinha’s first-half strike meant that second-half efforts from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson counted for very little in the grand scheme of things; Nuno Espirito Santo becoming the first manager since Avram Grant in 2011 to suffer relegation with West Ham United.
Nuno Espirito Santo reacts after West Ham United relegation
Speaking to Sky Sports after their fate was sealed, Nuno looked back with a degree of pride as his team signed off with a 3-0 home win while acknowledging that bouncing back from such crushing disappointment is now the most important thing.
“Tough, tough day for us,” Nuno says. “We knew it was going to be difficult. It was not in our hands. We did our part. It didn’t happen. We have to pass through the sad moment that we are living.
“If you ask me to go back to where and when [our fate was sealed], it is not the moment. It’s the moment to feel this sadness. Like I said, we had a tough mission. The boys tried; they were sure that things could be different for our future. It didn’t happen, but at least we finished at our home, played a good game.
“We won, but it doesn’t take away the sadness. We did many things well, many things [were] punished. Now, it is tough to look back and analyse.
“I just spoke to the boys, they are sad to go through this period. We have to go through the sadness and then think about the rest of it.”
Relegation confirmed – where do West Ham go from here?
Nuno expected to depart as Championship football looms
Hammers News have already reported that Nuno is almost certain to leave the London Stadium this summer.
The former Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham boss would not be drawn on the questions surrounding his own fate, however, as West Ham face up to a summer of extreme uncertainty.
“For the supporters, for the respect we have for them, it’s not the moment to speak about the future,” Nuno added. “It’s the moment to apologise to them, to thank all the supporters.
“One of the things these boys were able to do was to establish a good relationship with the fans, especially at the London Stadium. They helped us so much throughout the game. Today, knowing the result at Tottenham, they gave energy and noise to the boys.
“For the respect for them, we should understand today. Tomorrow, we will start thinking about what we have to do.”
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