AdminWest Ham United’s relegation from the Premier League has already sparked serious dressing-room unrest, with one member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad reportedly telling the manager he would “never play for him again” after a furious confrontation.
The Hammers’ 14-year stay in the top flight officially came to an end on Sunday despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Leeds United at the London Stadium.
West Ham needed Tottenham Hotspur to drop points against Everton, but Joao Palhinha’s first-half strike secured a 1-0 win for Roberto De Zerbi’s side and confirmed Spurs’ survival.
Relegation marks a crushing setback for West Ham, who had ambitions of establishing themselves among the Premier League’s elite after moving from Upton Park to the London Stadium.
According to The Athletic, tensions boiled over after last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United. Jean-Clair Todibo was substituted after just 25 minutes, with Nuno replacing the French defender with Callum Wilson in a bold tactical switch.
Todibo was said to be furious with the decision, initially venting his frustration to goalkeeper coach Rui Barbosa before confronting Nuno directly.
The heated exchange allegedly ended with the defender telling the West Ham boss he would not play for the club again while he remained in charge.
Todibo was subsequently left out of the squad against Leeds.
Meanwhile, captain Jarrod Bowen admitted the pain of relegation was still raw. He told Sky Sports: “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 I feel…
“We’ve had so many games when we could have got different results.
“It’s still very, very raw. It’s disrespectful to everyone to start talking about my future. 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.”
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