The wife of West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has launched a stinging attack on manager Nuno Espirito Santo following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League came to an end on Sunday, despite the Hammers winning 3-0 at home to Leeds on the final day.
Their result was rendered irrelevant as Tottenham earned a 1-0 win over Everton to confirm their survival, finishing two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham.
Areola’s wife Marrion took to social media to target Nuno and former boss Graham Potter in a series of posts, blaming the pair for West Ham’s relegation and hitting out at the pair for dropping her husband.
Marrion initially shared an image of Areola holding up the Conference League trophy in 2023 and stated: ‘From a trophy to relegation. Thank you Potter for the start of this season and Nuno for the end’.
She then shared memories from the Conference League triumph, before adding a broken heart following West Ham’s decline from their European success to dropping into the Championship.
Alphonse Areola’s wife Marrion, left, has hit out at West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo following their relegation from the Premier League
Marrion sarcastically thanked Graham Potter and Nuno for West Ham’s season, before claiming the latter had dropped her husband ‘for no particular reason’ in February
Nuno failed to keep West Ham in the top flight with their relegation to the Championship confirmed on Sunday
Areola had lost his place as West Ham’s No 1 under Potter, after Mads Hermansen was signed from Leicester in an £18m move in the summer.
The French goalkeeper regained his place after Hermansen struggled in West Ham’s opening four matches of the campaign, which saw the Hammers lose three times and ship 11 goals.
Areola played in West Ham’s next 20 Premier League matches – 19 of which came under Nuno.
West Ham won just four of those matches, with Areola conceding 37 goals and failing to keep a clean sheet.
Hermansen regained his place after West Ham’s 3-2 loss by Chelsea at the end of January, despite having led the game 2-0 at half-time.
Marrion accused Nuno of dropping her husband ‘for no particular reason’.
‘Being dropped at the beginning of the season for no reason,’ Marrion wrote.
‘Being back after a very bad start and then has made 20 games and all of a sudden: “I’m really sorry – you won’t start”, “Why?”, “For no particular reason but I’m sorry.’
Marrion continued her attack on Nuno in a series of Instagram posts on Sunday night
Marrion also placed the blame on Nuno for Areola missing out on France’s World Cup squad
West Ham had an upturn in results after Mads Hermansen regained his place in goal, but an end of season collapse saw the Hammers drop into the second tier
West Ham did enjoy an upturn in results in the next 10 games after Hermansen was restored to the starting line-up – winning four, drawing four and losing two to climb out of the relegation zone.
Nuno’s side conceded 10 goals in that run, with half coming in 5-2 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.
West Ham ultimately suffered a costly end-of-season collapse with three straight defeats against Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle leaving them heading into the final day in the relegation zone.
Marrion shared a post from December that stated Areola had the highest save percentage in the Premier League, before adding on the club’s relegation: ‘Very sad day for the fans. Very frustrated for the family. But always proud of you no matter what.’
She then placed the blame on Nuno for Areola missing out on France’s squad for the upcoming World Cup.
She shared highlights from Areola’s five appearances for France’s national team and wrote: ‘And NO World Cup this year, thank you Nuno’.
Areola had been part of France’s last two World Cup squads, although he did not make an appearance in either as Didier Deschamps’ side triumphed in 2018 and were beaten finalists in 2022.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper, who joined West Ham in 2021, currently has one year remaining on his contract.
Nuno refused to be drawn on his own future after West Ham’s relegation to the Championship was confirmed.
‘If you ask me now about the past and the future, this is not the day. Today is to understand the moment of sadness for our fans, of ourselves, of the club,’ he said.
‘Our attention was all on achieving the mission that we didn’t accomplish. Now we need to go to this period of sadness.’
When pushed further on both a timeframe for his decision and his desire to stay, Nuno added: ‘You keep insisting about that, but my mind is not there.
‘Next press conference, for sure we can speak about that, but today is not about this.’
