As the scoreboard displayed 3-0 to Chelsea and the clock was ticking towards the final whistle, it became increasingly inevitable that Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis would relieve boss Ange Postecoglou of his duties in the wake of yet another defeat – and he did so within 20 minutes of the match concluding. The Athens-born manager, however, is being praised for his actions after being sacked.
The first half at the City Ground gave Forest fans something to believe in: the hosts were much the better side, and it looked as if Enzo Maresca and Chelsea were running out of ideas. The second 45 minutes, however, was the complete opposite and the Blues ran riot with Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James all getting on the scoresheet.
Marinakis has become a divisive figure among football circles for his trigger-happy approach to managers of Forest – and, in the wake of Postecoglou being relieved of his duties, the likes of Sean Dyche, Roberto Mancini and Marco Silva are a triumvirate of managers appreciated by the club, according to GIVEMESPORT's Ben Jacobs.
Ange Posteoclou's Eight Matches at Forest
Date
13/09/25
17/09/25
20/09/25
24/09/25
27/09/25
02/10/25
05/10/25
18/10/25
Postecoglou Praised for Post-Sack Actions Outside Forest's City Ground
Ange Postecoglou
Once Postecoglou had been told of Marinakis' decision to let him go, the club put up a 39-word statement. "Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect. The Club will make no further comment at this time."
TNT Sports reporter Jules Breach insisted that she was interviewing Morgan Gibbs-White when the news dropped and that Postecoglou – who won the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur last season – had walked out of the stadium with his backpack on.
"From what we saw down in the tunnel, prior to that interview happening, Ange Postecoglou went into the home dressing room, spoke to the players and then actually went down to the other side of the tunnel area. We saw him come out of there and Edu was also in the corridor at that time," she said.
"Ange Postecoglou left with a bag on his back and went out towards the car park. At that point, it seemed the writing was on the wall, but it wasn't until a few minutes later when the news was confirmed. Ange Postecoglou's backroom staff are still here. As far as we are aware, Ange Postecoglou has already left the stadium."
Albeit keen to get home and back to his family, Postecoglou had the decency to stop and take pictures with some Forest fans after facing another loss and getting the sack. Perhaps as a way of bidding farewell to those who stuck by him when the going got tough, he showed plenty of grace.
"No taxi was needed for Ange," a supporter wrote as they put up a photo of Postecoglou smiling with a young fan." He literally & figuratively drove himself out of the City Ground. He did have time to stop on Trent Bridge for a selfie with one of our younger Garibaldi Girls, Georgia. See ya, mate!"
Despite not performing on the touchline for the Premier League side, there is obviously a sense of mutual respect between the supporters and the 60-year-old, who had earned a name for himself after his 113-match stint north of the border with Celtic. One fan, in response to him stopping for photos, said:
"Credit to Ange for that. I don't wish any ill on him, just wasn't the right time, place or fit for Forest. Hope he bounces back and has success but, like us all, needs to take constructive criticism on board and self-improve. I am sure he would be revered back at Celtic."
Ange Postecoglou
"That’s a seriously decent thing to do," another wrote on X (formerly Twitter) before a third member of the City Ground faithful only had nice words to say about Postecoglou "Such a solid man! Big ups to him!" A final fan concluded, "That guy is class. A good man is valuable in this world."
Postecoglou, since being appointed on 9 September 2025, had gone eight matches without a win and Marinakis may now be ruing his decision to part ways with Nuno Espirio Santo, who is now in charge at West Ham United. On the horizon for Forest is welcoming FC Porto to Nottingham on Thursday before travelling down south to face Andoni Iraola's high-flying Bournemouth.