Kieran Maguire verdict on Steve Cooper landing ‘big’ Nottingham Forest payout after sack
Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest contract may include a clause that lowers the compensation fee paid when he was sacked.
That is the opinion of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively told Football Insider that Cooper will also be required to find future work to secure his compensation pay.
Forest sacked Cooper on Tuesday (19 December) after two years in charge of the Premier League club.
Cooper led Forest to promotion in the Championship but the club’s board are unhappy with league results this season.
Forest currently sit 17th in the Premier League table – five points clear of the relegation zone.
The Nottingham-based side have since replaced Cooper with former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract.
Forest will have had to pay a severance fee to sack Cooper, while Nuno’s appointment at the City Ground will also have sign-on bonuses attached.
Maguire believes Forest will not be concerned about the price of their managerial change as climbing the league table will cover the costs.
“When a manager is sacked they are typically handed a big payout,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“But it depends on the deal agreed and we don’t know the nature of the contract.
“It could be that there’s a limited amount of pay-off so that the whole of the contract does not have to be paid out.
“Also, under most employment laws, there is an obligation to try to seek alternative employment which could restrict the amount paid to Steve Cooper.
“He did sign a contract extension around about a year ago that will contain a set of cheques and balances, which would have protected the interests of both parties.
“But I’m sure Nottingham Forest will not be overly concerned with regards to the total cost, given that one position higher in the Premier League is worth £2.5million.”
In other news, ‘Shaking my head’, ‘They have no idea’ – Wolves fans all saying same thing as Nottingham Forest appoint Nuno Espirito Santo