Sky Sports pundit replaced Nuno Espirito Santo as manager in one of most doomed spells in dugout

In the ever-volatile world of football management, careers often pivot on timing, opportunity, and sometimes, language skills. Few episodes illustrate this as dramatically as the handover between Nuno Espírito Santo and Gary Neville at Valencia CF in 2015. On paper, it looked like a respectable transition—from a manager with growing continental pedigree to a highly decorated former player stepping into his first managerial role. In practice, it became one of the most ill-fated spells in modern LaLiga history.

As of 2025, Nuno is enjoying a renaissance at Nottingham Forest, leading the club into European competition. Gary Neville, on the other hand, has long retreated from coaching, comfortably settled in the Sky Sports studio after a bruising few months in Spain that likely ended any ambition he once held of managing at the highest level.

This is the full story of how one managerial switch—initiated when Santo departed a top-four LaLiga club—led to one of the most infamous managerial tenures in Spanish football history.

Nuno Espírito Santo: From Goalkeeper to Managerial Prodigy

Life Between the Sticks

Before he was a coach, Nuno Espírito Santo was a journeyman goalkeeper, spending 18 years mostly as a dependable second choice. He featured for clubs in Portugal and Spain, enjoying two spells at FC Porto—most notably as part of José Mourinho’s legendary Champions League-winning squad in 2004. Though he rarely featured on the pitch, Nuno was praised for his professionalism, leadership, and insight into the tactical side of the game.

Early Steps into Coaching

After hanging up his gloves in 2010, Nuno swiftly transitioned into management. He took charge of Portuguese side Rio Ave in 2012, and within two seasons had transformed them from relegation strugglers to Europa League qualifiers—marking the club’s first-ever entry into European competition.

That success turned heads. In July 2014, he accepted a one-year contract to manage Valencia CF, one of Spain’s most historic clubs, then seeking a return to prominence under new ownership led by Peter Lim.

Valencia Under Nuno: From Stability to Strain

A Promising Start

Nuno’s first season in Spain was nothing short of impressive. His Valencia side played aggressive, fast-paced football and finished the 2014–15 season in fourth place, securing Champions League qualification. Along the way, they took four points off Real Madrid and earned him three LaLiga Manager of the Month awards.

So impressed were the board with his start that, just six months into his debut campaign, they extended his contract through to 2018.

Trouble in Year Two

However, the 2015–16 season quickly spiraled downward. Despite investing heavily in new talent and having a strong pre-season, Valencia’s form dipped. Nuno’s side struggled in both LaLiga and the Champions League. Disjointed performances, poor defensive displays, and dressing room tension combined to unravel the stability he had established.

By November 2015, with Valencia floundering in mid-table and fan frustration mounting, Nuno tendered his resignation. Though the exit was amicable, it was a stark contrast to the optimism of just 12 months prior.

Enter Gary Neville: A Risk That Backfired Spectacularly

An Unconventional Appointment

The football world was stunned on December 5, 2015, when Peter Lim—Valencia’s majority shareholder and a close friend of Gary Neville—announced the appointment of the former Manchester United and England defender as head coach.

While Neville was a highly respected pundit on Sky Sports and had served as assistant manager to Roy Hodgson with the England national team, he had never managed a club, nor coached a team on a full-time basis.

More concerning was Neville’s lack of Spanish—a crucial shortfall given he was inheriting a multilingual dressing room and had limited time to stamp his authority.

The Neville Era Begins… and Fails

Initially, Neville was joined by his brother Phil Neville, who had already been part of Valencia’s backroom staff, and interim caretaker Salvador Gonzalez ‘Voro’, a club servant who had stepped in on multiple occasions.

Unfortunately for Gary, results quickly unraveled. He failed to win any of his first nine LaLiga matches. His lack of experience and inability to communicate fluently with the squad caused tactical confusion, disjointed play, and frequent defensive lapses.

The low point came in February 2016, when Valencia were humiliated 7-0 by Barcelona in the first leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final—a result that sent shockwaves through Spanish football and all but doomed his tenure.

By the time he was dismissed on March 30, 2016, Neville had overseen:

Just three wins in 16 LaLiga games
A total of 28 goals conceded
A slip to 14th in the table, just six points above relegation

It was a painful, bruising experience for a man who had been on a fast track to managerial recognition.

Post-Valencia: Diverging Paths

Nuno’s Rise

While Neville’s management career effectively ended at Valencia, Nuno rebuilt his reputation with incredible speed. In 2016, he was appointed manager of FC Porto, and though he lasted just one season, he maintained a respectable record.

His true resurgence came in 2017, when he was appointed manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers. There, Nuno masterminded back-to-back promotions, taking Wolves from the Championship to the Premier League and into European football—earning plaudits for his tactical intelligence and squad harmony.

He later had short stints at Tottenham Hotspur and Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia before arriving at Nottingham Forest. Under his stewardship, Forest have defied expectations, and in 2025 they’ve secured European qualification for the first time in over two decades.

Gary Neville’s Retreat

By contrast, Neville has shown no desire to return to the dugout. Reflecting on his time at Valencia, he has said:

“It’ll never happen. I’m a million miles away. I don’t want to be in that environment anymore.”

Though he admits to learning valuable life lessons from the experience, Neville has found greater fulfillment in media and business, where he continues to thrive as a respected voice in football analysis and an entrepreneur.

Footballing Lessons from the Valencia Experiment

When Punditry Doesn’t Translate

Neville’s tactical insight and articulate punditry made him a fan favorite in the UK, but the Valencia saga proved that coaching theory and practical management are very different arenas. Man-management, language fluency, tactical adaptability, and club politics all proved to be significant hurdles.

His struggles in Spain stand as a cautionary tale against fast-tracking even the most intelligent ex-players into high-pressure managerial roles without proper experience or support.

The Importance of Fit

Nuno’s initial success and subsequent struggles at Valencia weren’t purely down to ability—it was also about timing, club politics, and external pressures. His later success at Wolves and Forest suggest that even highly capable managers can falter in environments that lack cohesion, patience, or structural alignment.

Conversely, Neville’s failure showed what can happen when the fit between manager and club is completely mismatched.

The Legacy of a Cautionary Tale

For Nuno Espírito Santo

Now at Nottingham Forest, Nuno is enjoying one of the most impressive rebuilds in recent Premier League memory. Having secured European qualification after a thrilling 2-2 draw against Leicester City, he has elevated Forest’s expectations beyond survival and mid-table mediocrity.

Despite controversy surrounding club owner Evangelos Marinakis—who reportedly stormed onto the pitch to confront Nuno about the injury to striker Taiwo Awoniyi—Nuno has kept focus and unity within the squad. Awoniyi’s serious health scare, which has led to him being placed in an induced coma, has cast a sombre mood over the celebrations, but Nuno’s measured leadership has been widely praised.

For Gary Neville

Neville’s story is less about failure and more about self-awareness. His brief time at Valencia was a sobering reminder that passion and knowledge alone do not guarantee success in the coaching realm. Rather than forcing a comeback, he accepted that the managerial world wasn’t for him and returned to what he does best—offering insight, mentorship, and business leadership.

In a sense, Neville’s experience at Valencia may have done more to shape his legacy than if he had succeeded. His honesty and vulnerability in discussing his failures have resonated with fans and aspiring coaches alike.

Conclusion: Two Roads Diverged in Mestalla

The story of Nuno Espírito Santo and Gary Neville at Valencia is one of contrasts—between experience and inexperience, preparation and improvisation, long-term trajectory and short-term gamble.

Nuno left Valencia with a blemish but proved his managerial mettle in the years that followed. Neville entered with acclaim but left with bruises that still mark his view of coaching today.

Football’s history is full of twists, but few are as fascinating, instructive, and cautionary as the one that unfolded in the winter of 2015–16 at the Mestalla. It remains one of the clearest examples of how footballing fate can hinge on a single decision—and how different the outcomes can be when that decision goes wrong.