West Ham underwent a major overhaul in the summer, with several long-serving players and high-profile names moving on as the club reshaped the squad.
Club stalwart Aaron Cresswell departed as a free agent, while Kurt Zouma and Danny Ings also left at the end of their contracts.
Meanwhile, (some) lucrative sales saw Mohammed Kudus join rivals Tottenham, Nayef Aguerd and Emerson Palmieri head to Marseille, and Edson Álvarez finally secure a chaotic switch to Fenerbahçe.
Among the departures was Vladimír Coufal — once a firm fan favourite in east London.
And the Czech defender has now opened up on what he describes as a deeply frustrating and disrespectful goodbye, taking aim at both the club hierarchy and former manager Graham Potter.
Coufal Hits Out at West Ham and Potter
Coufal has broken his silence on his West Ham exit, admitting he was stunned by how abruptly the club handled his departure after four-and-a-half years of service.
Signed for around £5 million from Slavia Prague, Coufal quickly became a fan favourite for his commitment, consistency and work rate.
But with his contract running down — and the arrivals of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Kyle Walker-Peters offering fresh competition at right-back — West Ham chose to move in a different direction.
Speaking to The New York Times, Coufal revealed how sudden the news was and how little clarity he was given about the decision.
According to the defender, Graham Potter shifted all responsibility onto the club’s executives.
“Potter told me the club wouldn’t be extending my contract. I asked why and he said it was a club decision. Was it the manager? The board? I have no idea.”
Coufal said the manner of the conversation left him hurt, feeling his years of service merited more than a brief explanation.
“It was very disappointing. Five years at the club… for a 30-second conversation.”
The Czech full-back also shared his frustration at the club’s choice to reject a January bid from Fulham last season. West Ham kept him for the final six months of his deal after failing to secure a replacement, something he believed would count in his favour when discussing a renewal — but it ultimately didn’t matter.
Off the pitch, the fallout hit even harder.
“The hardest moment was telling my wife and kids,” Coufal said, adding that his son — who still plays in West Ham’s academy – struggled to understand the decision.
“I was no longer good enough to stay at the club he loves,” he revealed. “He cried and didn’t speak to me for two days. He thought I would stay at West Ham forever.”
It marks a harsh ending to what had largely been a positive and committed spell in claret and blue — and one Coufal clearly feels could have been handled with far greater respect.
