Edu Gaspar was key to Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis moving to invest in São Paulo, using information he’d garnered at Arsenal to his advantage.
That’s [according to journalist Jorge Nicola](https://x.com/jorgenicola/status/1898011167253008892?s=61&t=hqDgWG-6N49X7lJEaPQM-g), who covers the ongoing situation with Marinakis’ ongoing effort to invest into Brazilian football.
The Nottingham Forest owner has been seeking to make an investment into the country for several months and after identifying clubs to potentially focus on, has now set his sights on São Paulo.
He’s appointed former Arsenal director of football Edu to help his endeavour, with reports having explained that the Brazilian had broached the idea of an investment or partnership with a Brazilian club while he was director of football at the Emirates.
Arsenal never took him up on the idea and he moved on elsewhere, taking up an as yet unidentified role in Marinakis’ growing football empire.
He’s leading the charge to invest in São Paulo, with Marinakis eyeing an investment in their youth ranks rather than buying the club and making them a sister club to the likes of Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos.
Nicola now provides further details on what’s going on behind the scenes, and the role Edu is playing in proceedings.
_“Time to talk about Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek tycoon is inclined to close with São Paulo over Vasco,”_ he said.
_“And the word of Edu Gaspar, who was hired last year to be CEO of Marinakis clubs around the world, was decisive in São Paulo’s choice. Edu, while still a director at Arsenal, had mapped out eight Brazilian clubs, including São Paulo, and Edu was delighted with the Tricolor’s youth teams at the Cotia training centre. Vasco, on the other hand, was ignored in this survey._
_“Edu also reminded Marinakis of two important problems. The case of the purchase of SAF Cruz Maltina. The club’s debts, which exceeded one billion, are now being talked about at one billion and four hundred million, in addition to the issue of legal uncertainty._
_“To avoid the risk of getting into a huge mess, Edu Gaspar suggested to Marinakis that he move forward with São Paulo and that things worked out. Marinakis and São Paulo are in advanced negotiations to become partners in the management of São Paulo’s youth teams.”_