
‘Like walking into a luxury spa' – Nuno Espirito Santo plays handpan in his office, reveals Nottingham Forest star
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST manager Nuno Espirito Santo has adopted a very unusual hobby during his time in charge at City Ground.
Nuno, 51, joined Forest in December 2023 and has taken the club by storm by leading them to their first European qualification in 30 years after a turbulent debut season that saw him barely escaping relegation.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has adopted an unusual hobby
2
Nuno plays the handpan in his office to unwind and meet Forest's demands
According to The Athletic, however, it's not just the performances on the pitch that have left everyone at Nottingham fascinated with the Portuguese tactician.
But it's also the fact that the ex-Wolves boss has proven to be a very multi-layered person.
The former Tottenham boss is well-known as a composed, disciplined and soft-spoken person when he speaks in front of the cameras.
But behind the scenes he shows various different attributes as former team-mates remember him as a daredevil, who loves deep-sea diving, as well as a dressing room joker.
Read More on Football
SOLD TRAFFORD Man Utd put every star up for sale as cup loss leaves 'em in financial ruin
Forest captain Ryan Yates also revealed Nuno has become famous for his love of music.
One of the first things the ex-Porto star did when he signed with Forest was locating a music shop in Nottingham that could find him a percussion instrument known as a handpan.
The handpan produces soothing sounds when tapping or drumming against its steel edges as it perches on the knee and looks like a huge metallic shell.
And it has become quite common for people to hear these melodic sounds from the manager's office.
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Yates told The Athletic: "Is that [handpan] what it's called?
'I went for a chat with him and I just sat there while he was playing it for five, 10 minutes.
Taiwo Awoniyi health update with Nottingham Forest star recovering in hospital after emergency abdominal surgery
"It was incredible — like walking into a luxury spa or a five-star hotel. I thought I was going to fall asleep!'
Yates insists this is just one of many things that show what a "very special man" Nuno is.
The midfielder also praised the former goalkeeper's stunning job at Forest as he led them to the FA Cup semi-finals as well this season.
Yates added: "He's a very special man. He's very different to anyone I've come across before. But, more than anything, he's obviously incredible at his job.
"It's incredible for the club to orchestrate Forest to their first European success in 30 years. It speaks for itself. Incredible.'
Nuno is now gearing up for Sunday's crunch home clash with Chelsea in the final fixture of the 2024-25 Premier League season needing a victory and other results to go his way in order to secure Champions League qualification.
Nottingham saw their Champions League hopes suffering a devastating blow two weeks ago when they drew 2-2 with Leicester at City Ground.
The game made headlines after Taiwo Awoniyi's horror injury which led to owner Evangelos Marinakis having an intense talk with Nuno in front of the cameras at full-time as the Greek supremo was very unhappy with the way that incident was handled by the medical team.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Russell Martin looks set to win race to become new Rangers head coach
The former Rangers and Scotland defender was reported to be finalising personal terms after accepting the position, which became vacant in February when Philippe Clement was sacked. The apparently imminent appointment is the latest in a series of major developments at Ibrox. An American consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises secured a majority shareholding on Friday and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell officially began work on Monday. Thelwell stated on his first day that the recruitment of a new head coach would come to a conclusion 'in the coming days'. Outgoing Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti and former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard – who reportedly pulled out of the running – were also among the leading candidates. Martin has been without a club since being sacked by Southampton in December after a 5-0 home defeat to Tottenham left Saints bottom of the Premier League on five points after 16 matches. The 39-year-old had secured promotion in his first season in charge thanks to a Championship play-off final win against Leeds. The ex-Peterborough and Norwich captain began his managerial career in November 2019 when he stepped up from MK Dons' playing squad to take charge of his team. We can confirm that we have taken the difficult decision to part ways with our Men's First Team Manager, Russell Martin. — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 15, 2024 Martin steered the Dons clear of relegation danger before the pandemic struck and his side finished 13th in Sky Bet League One in what proved to be his only full campaign in charge. Martin moved to Swansea in August 2021 after the Welsh club made an official approach to MK Dons on the eve of their season opener, leading them to 15th and then 10th-placed finishes in the Championship before moving to Southampton. Martin's firm commitment to possession-based football drew some criticism as Saints struggled in the top flight and he defended his approach days before the fateful meeting with Ange Postecoglou's Spurs side. 'I get criticised for the same thing (as Postecoglou),' said Martin. 'About being stubborn and all that stuff. But if you believe in something and it's taken you a certain way in life then to deviate too far from that is crazy. 'I can't speak for him but we are also adapting. We adapt shape, approach, personnel, but with the same consistency about what is important for us, with the same concept of the game. We can't deviate too far from that otherwise we become nothing, really.' Martin now looks set to take his principles up against another purveyor of possession-based football and one of his predecessors as Swansea manager, Brendan Rodgers, whose Celtic side recently won their 13th title in 14 years. Although Rangers have only won three major trophies since emerging from the Ibrox liquidation crisis of 2012, Martin will have a good grasp of the fans' demands and expectations, which have been raised by the takeover and the promise of a £20million investment in the playing side. Martin spent the second half of the 2017-18 season on loan from Norwich at Rangers, playing under caretaker managers Graeme Murty and then Jimmy Nicholl. His appearances included a 4-0 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat and 5-0 loss against a Rodgers-led Celtic side as Rangers finished third in the Premiership.

Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Simone Inzaghi leaves Inter Milan days after Champions League final defeat
The 49-year-old has been heavily linked with the job of Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Inter were chasing the treble as recently as late April only to be beaten by city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals before seeing Napoli claim the Serie A title by a single point. The final indignity came last weekend when they were routed 5-0 by PSG in Munich, their second defeat in the European showpiece in three years. Simone Inzaghi's message#FCIM — Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) June 3, 2025 It was decided that Inzaghi should depart during a meeting between the former Italy international and the club on Tuesday afternoon. Inter president Giuseppe Marotta said: 'I would like to thank Simone Inzaghi for the work he has done, for the passion shown and also for the sincerity in today's discussion, which led to the common decision to part ways. 'Only when we have fought together to achieve success day by day can we have a frank dialogue like the one that happened today.' Inzaghi won six trophies during his four seasons at San Siro, including the 2023-24 Serie A title. A post shared by UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) He said: 'The time has come for me to say goodbye to this club after a four-year-long journey, throughout which I gave my all. 'Every day my first and last thought was always about Inter. It was then reciprocated with professionalism and passion by the players, leaders, and every single one of the club's employees. 'I would like to thank the shareholders for their unwavering support, as well as the president and his associates for their daily help and constant dialogue. 'On every difficult day, just like today, I think it's right to reiterate this sense of gratitude, even for the meeting that we had not long ago. We were sincere and together we decided to conclude this magnificent journey.'


North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Simone Inzaghi leaves Inter Milan days after Champions League final defeat
The 49-year-old has been heavily linked with the job of Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Inter were chasing the treble as recently as late April only to be beaten by city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals before seeing Napoli claim the Serie A title by a single point. The final indignity came last weekend when they were routed 5-0 by PSG in Munich, their second defeat in the European showpiece in three years. Simone Inzaghi's message#FCIM — Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) June 3, 2025 It was decided that Inzaghi should depart during a meeting between the former Italy international and the club on Tuesday afternoon. Inter president Giuseppe Marotta said: 'I would like to thank Simone Inzaghi for the work he has done, for the passion shown and also for the sincerity in today's discussion, which led to the common decision to part ways. 'Only when we have fought together to achieve success day by day can we have a frank dialogue like the one that happened today.' Inzaghi won six trophies during his four seasons at San Siro, including the 2023-24 Serie A title. A post shared by UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) He said: 'The time has come for me to say goodbye to this club after a four-year-long journey, throughout which I gave my all. 'Every day my first and last thought was always about Inter. It was then reciprocated with professionalism and passion by the players, leaders, and every single one of the club's employees. 'I would like to thank the shareholders for their unwavering support, as well as the president and his associates for their daily help and constant dialogue. 'On every difficult day, just like today, I think it's right to reiterate this sense of gratitude, even for the meeting that we had not long ago. We were sincere and together we decided to conclude this magnificent journey.'