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Nuno and his players react on West Ham relegated to Championship for first time since 2012

Nuno Espirito Santo and his players react on West Ham United being relegated to Championship for first time since 2012.

On the final day of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Tottenham beat Everton to avoid relegation, spelling the end of West Ham’s 14-year stay in the top flight.

They finished the season on 39 points, some fans took protest, some banners were on display, other stood still staring into the distance, many had already left the ground.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen, speaking to Sky Sports: “It’s a horrible place to be. Football gives you so many good moments but relegation, it hurts.

“We did enough today in terms of our result but we haven’t done it consistently enough across the season to pick up the points and we found ourselves in this position.”

On where things have gone wrong: “You can pinpoint many different things but, ultimately, when you go out on the pitch, its about players turning up when things aren’t going well and picking up better results.

“Last season we were in a similar situation and were able to wriggle out of it, this season we haven’t. It’s not something that has just happened and is fresh. The last couple of seasons we have been below the standard.

“Ultimately, this season we haven’t been good enough and we’ve paid the biggest price.”

On decline: “In that European season we finished 14th but no one remembers that because we won a European trophy.

“But the couple of seasons after, last season it was Manchester United and Tottenham below us and we got out of it.

“We thought it was a blip, come into this season fresh. We had a full season with Graham Potter and we were ready to go. We didn’t have the start we wanted and the manager was gone after six games.

“Then there was a new face, new ideas. Everyone was ready to go but we didn’t do enough week in, week out to grind out results.

“We’ve been leading games and dropped points from those positions. The fight has been there but we haven’t done enough.”

On his future: “I’m under contract here. There’s going to be rumours, talk and nonsense out there but, ultimately, what I see is getting this club back in the Premier League. That’s where it deserves to be.

“This is a really low moment. We have to bounce back from this, there is no other way.

“This is a really difficult moment, you never know what the future holds.”

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “Not really [a consolation that West Ham did what they needed to] because we never wanted to be in this situation.

“Coming into the game, we had to take care of ourselves and hold onto that bit of hope that we had. That’s all we could do. We were relying on another result.

“Ultimately, it’s not enough.”

On how it feels to be relegated: “Just hurt. I’ve been here six and a half years now. Had a lot of good moments and this outweighs all of it. Getting this club relegated… it hurts.

“We shouldn’t be in the position we’re in but we’ve found ourselves in it and we’ve not done enough to stay up. Hurt is the only thing.”

On going down with 39 points: “We’ve had so many games when we could have got different results. You can look at it and say ‘these, these, these, these’ but, ultimately, we didn’t pick the points up and in this league, the quality is so high and we didn’t give ourselves enough of a chance.

“You can individualise every single game. You can’t look back at every game but in some games we didn’t show the levels consistently enough.”

On future and if Nuno should stay: “It’s still very, very raw. Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that. This club deserves to be in the Premier League. Our aim now is to get this club back into the Premier League.”

On his own future: “It’s disrespectful to everyone to start talking about that. I want this club to be in the Premier League. It’s a club that means so much to me and has given me so much so my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League.”

West Ham’s Nuno Espirito Santo, said to BBC Match of the Day: “We are sad, we are disappointed but sadness is what we feel.

“We knew that our mission was tough, it was not in our hands. We did our part but it was not enough. We have to apologise to our fans and thank them for all their incredible support.

“One of the things that made us feel at home was their support and their noise. Then as a club we need to go to this moment of sadness. It’s tough.”

On winning the game: “That was important for us. In our talk with the boys I was clear, let’s finish with character and dignity, especially at home.

“At home, we have to perform and give it our all and see what happens. We did our part, it didn’t happen. But I’m proud of the boys, it was a tough, tough day.”

On the fans: “They are amazing. One of the things that makes us proud is that we established a good relationship. They understand the difficulties of the team. Even today there was noise and we cannot thank them enough.

“We apologise for the situation but the club is the fans and they are going to be needed.”

On going down with 39 points: “This was out of normal. You can see all over the table.”

On playing in the Championship next season: “It’s going to be tough. Tomorrow and after tomorrow is going to be even tougher when you realise what you have ahead.

“West Ham is a Premier League club and deserves to be in the Premier League.

“Out of respect for everyone, we cannot look to the future now. We go to the sadness in the days ahead – and then we’ll look to the future.

“It has to be after, not today. Tomorrow is another day.”

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to Sky Sports:

“Tough day for us. We knew it would be difficult and we did our part but it did not happen.

“The moment is to just feel this sadness. We had a tough mission and the boys tried it. I wish things could be different for our future but at least we finish with dignity.

“It doesn’t take away the sadness. We did many things good but now it is tough to look back and analyse. I just spoke with the boys, we are all sad going through this period.

On his future: “For the respect we have for the supporters, it is not the moment to speak.

“Out of respect for them, tomorrow will be a new one [day].”

On message to the fans: “West Ham have to be in the Premier League. We are a big club.”

Here’s what social media users had to say as Nuno and his players react on West Ham relegated to the Championship for the first time since 2012…

@PotterDave_: Remember when you hounded out David Moyes after he’d just won a European trophy because “the football wasn’t attractive”… Hahahaha fucking cunts

@leonmoore1006: Prime example of being careful for what you wish for! Moyes out banners and hounded the bloke out after winning a trophy. I’m sure you’d rather still be in the PL #whufc

@RockCowboyPhil: Got exactly what the season deserved.. 9 months of utter dross… hard to be too sad… it’s been coming for the last few seasons, our luck finally ran out.. completely inevitable

@BigPhil_Steve: West Ham relegated. I hate this feeling so fucking much. Sooo fucking much. People are suffering, fighting to see tomorrow and here I am in fucking shambles about a football club. And yet I’m going to be excited to keep following them like it’s just another year. I hate me. #COYI

@IronVic92: Too little, too late. The club deserve relegation, poor decision after poor decision after poor decision has cost us over the last 3-4 years. David Sullivan and Karen Brady are the reason we are going down. It wouldn’t have mattered what manager we had in charge.

@EdwardJames:
We’ve got Lincoln away ole, ole
Millwall at the Den
No #VAR
8th too get a Play off place
And the chance too knock a Premier League club out off the domestic cups.
Hopefully Sullivan will leave as well.
#WHUFC #WHTID
Gutted

@whuchr: Well, there it is what we deserve. So many what ifs this season and ultimately that’s why you go down but that retarded lineup last week the most recent example, countless refereeing errors, infuriating.

@terrysmudge: Got what we deserved in the end. Threw away so many opportunities this season. The table doesn’t lie. Not good enough. Sad day… and on to a very uncertain future for this football club. The fans will be there tho ⚒️ #COYI #westham

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