The wife of West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has launched a scathing social media attack on managers Nuno Espirito Santo and Graham Potter following the club's relegation. Marrion Valette publicly blamed the managerial duo for the Hammers' top-flight demise and directly attributed her husband's recent France World Cup omission to their treatment of him at the London Stadium.
Hammers drop down to Championship
West Ham’s proud 14-year tenure in the Premier League concluded in heartbreak on the final day of the season. Despite securing a 3-0 victory over Leeds United, the Irons were officially condemned to the Championship after Tottenham Hotspur's concurrent 1-0 win against Everton left them two points adrift of safety. According to reports from talkSPORT, this catastrophic demotion is set to cost manager Nuno his job, with a contract clause allowing the board to dismiss him without compensation.
Advertisement
AFP
Valette vents fury over demotion
In the immediate aftermath of the confirmation, Valette took to Instagram to unleash a series of highly critical posts targeting both the current boss and his predecessor. Reflecting on a steep decline from their continental silverware peak under David Moyes, she captioned a historical photo: "From a trophy to relegation. Thank you Potter for the start of the season and Nuno for the end."
Team selections slammed
Areola was demoted to second-choice by Potter in August before Nuno briefly reinstalled him, only to drop the Frenchman again in January following a series of headline-grabbing errors. Sharing statistics highlighting her husband's league-high save percentage, Valette exposed internal communication issues.
She wrote: "Being dropped at the beginning of the season for no reason... After a very bad start 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'."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Having not featured in the Premier League since a Chelsea fixture on January 31, Areola now faces immense uncertainty with just one year remaining on his contract as West Ham face a gruelling Championship rebuild.