Could Nuno Espirito Santo really be out of a job at Nottingham Forest soon? The manager did little on Friday to quell rumors of a possible departure, saying that his relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is not in a good place.
It’s a stunning development that feels less surprising under the surface, as Nottingham Forest’s exceptional rise last season has not been lacking odd moments. Sky Sports reports that Forest’s owners are surprised by the manager’s comments, which come after the club spent big to calm Espirito Santo’s concerns about their transfer activity.
That report says there “is now a real possibility Nuno may not be in charge for Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace,” which should be a tempestuous affair regardless of any managerial drama.
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Espirito Santo, 51, was hired by Marinakis in December 2023 and led the Tricky Trees to safety, then driving them to the European qualification in his first full season at the club.
Forest qualified for the Conference League and then successfully pushed to replace Crystal Palace in the Europa League. The tournament will be the two-time European Cup champions their first European campaign since 1995-96.
But there have been eyebrow-raising times at Forest. The manager was given an on-field chastening by owner Marinakis last Spring but it was during a chaotic and emotional moment after Taiwo Awoniyi suffered an injury that resulted in his being placed in an induced coma. Then there was this summer’s odd on-field unveiling of a new contract for Gibbs-White by Marinakis.
Nuno Espirito Santo says ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ re: Marinakis relationship
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so I know how things work, but I’m here to do my job,” Espirito Santo said Friday, describing a change in his relationship with Marinakis. “I understand, because I’m worried. I’m the first one to be worried. I’m the first one to be concerned.”
Espirito Santo said he isn’t sure why his relationship with Marinakis has changed this early season,
“The reason behind it, I don’t know,” he said. “The reality is that it is not what it used to be. What it used to be was a good, respectful relationship, but was more based on trust and sharing opinions, and now it’s not so good.”
The manager just extended his contract at Forest this summer, and the club has so far held onto Morgan Gibbs-White, Murillo, and Nikola Milenkovic, with only Anthony Elanga as a significant exit.
This should be a great time to be with Forest. The fact that it isn’t is extremely alarming for the state of the team.