That’s because Nuno Espirito Santo, recently installed as the club’s new manager, was shown the door after just 25 days in the job. Tensions with club owner Evangelos Marinakis had prompted the decision. The rift grew largely because of Edu’s influence, who Marinakis appointed as his global head of football. This appointment apparently caused Espirito Santo to feel cut out of the loop in his position, which subsequently led to a crumbling of the partnership between the two.
Espirito Santo, fresh off of one of the greatest seasons ever had at Nottingham Forest, took one more step in carrying the club back to Europe. Yet, as positive as that victory was, it was gratefully short-lived as frustrations were growing about Edu’s continued involvement with club business. Over two fiery press conferences, the fired skipper made his feelings known. He aimed some pretty caustic words at Edu’s hold on Marinakis. Espirito Santo therefore believed that this dynamic was placing Edu in an untenable position — as a “third wheel” in his partnership with the owner.
As the situation worsened, Marinakis would get angrier and angrier, especially after the trust between him and his manager Espirito Santo broke down. The owner’s ambition to win trophies with Nottingham Forest clashed with the manager’s concerns. In the end, Espirito Santo’s desire not to stay at the club was fulfilled, bringing down a chaotic chapter.
In light of these changes, Marinakis has responded. He’d just made Ange Postecoglou the new head coach of Nottingham Forest. This decision was made in hopes of revitalizing the team’s performance and aligning closely with the owner’s vision for success. Prior to Espirito Santo’s arrival, Steve Cooper had successfully returned Nottingham Forest to the Premier League, raising expectations for future achievements.
Yet the damage done to the relationship between Marinakis and Espirito Santo may have already proved irreparable. Espirito Santo joined in on the exuberance of a great inaugural season. His departure underscores greater problems in the club’s management stated earlier. Edu is pretty well set in his job now. It will be particularly fascinating to see how Nottingham Forest continues to manage that transition and move towards realizing Marinakis’ positive ambitions.
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