LONDON, May 27 (Reuters) - West Ham United have decided to keep manager Nuno Espirito Santo in charge of the London side despite their relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season, the club said on Wednesday.
West Ham finished 18th in the standings to drop down to the second-tier Championship for the first time since 2011.
"While the ultimate outcome on Sunday was a painful one, the Board of Directors believe that there have been broader signs of improvement and progress in recent months, and we want Nuno to continue developing that progress," the club said in a statement.
West Ham ended the campaign with 19 defeats and 10 wins, finishing two points behind London rivals Tottenham Hotspur despite winning their final fixture 3-0 against Leeds United on Sunday as Spurs beat Everton 1-0 to stay up.
The writing was on the wall for West Ham when they lost three straight games earlier this month against Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle United, leaving Spurs in control of their destiny on the final day.
The club said they held meetings with Espirito Santo earlier this week, with the Portuguese manager expressing his commitment to the club he joined in September on a three-year contract following the sacking of Graham Potter.
The board of directors added they had seen a "clear improvement in squad mentality and togetherness" since January, making the 52-year-old the ideal candidate to lead their promotion charge next season.
"Nuno made it very clear that he is highly motivated for the challenge of guiding West Ham United back to the top flight at the first time of asking. That must be the unquestionable goal for next season," the club added.
"Nuno has spent one previous year in the EFL Championship and it was an outstanding success as he secured 99 points to win the title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018."
West Ham also said they were reducing season ticket prices by up to 30% after their relegation.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Bernadette Baum and Christian Radnedge)
