Nottingham Forest are set to learn their Europa League fate on Friday, with Evangelos Marinakis sharing his honest thoughts on how his side will fare.
Forest have built a competitive squad for Europe thanks to significant investment from Marinakis, something that was necessary to ensure the Reds weren’t caught out by the increase in fixtures.
Continental experience has also been added, with Douglas Luiz arriving at Forest with Champions League credentials alongside James McAtee’s European exploits with Manchester City.
There’s a chance that the Reds can make serious inroads in the Europa League, then, especially given the confidence of their owner.
Evangelos Marinakis is interviewed at the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase Draw
Photo by Claudio Lavenia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Evangelos Marinakis on Nottingham Forest’s Europa League hopes
It’s the Reds’ first foray back into European football for 30 years, but given the financial might of Premier League sides these days, onlookers will expect Forest to do well in the Europa League.
That expectation is coming from within the City Ground, too, as Marinakis spoke in an interview for Greek television about Forest’s chances while attending the Champions League draw with Olympiacos.
He said: “People are looking forward to this new journey. We believe that we have a very good team and that we can go far in the Europa League.”
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It’s no surprise to hear that Marinakis is expecting an impressive run from Nuno Espírito Santo and his squad, but this season’s Europa League journey cannot be a one-and-done experience, as the Forest owner now expects greater feats from his manager.
Evangelos Marinakis’ ambitions don’t stop at the Europa League
Clearly, it’s no secret that Nuno and Marinakis’ relationship is fractured at present, linked closely to the Portuguese manager’s issues with Edu.
Before this revelation came to light, though, the pressure on Nuno had already been ramped up by Marinakis, who is now expecting European football on a regular basis.
A report by the Daily Mail said: “The Forest owner envisages an improvement this season which, logically, can mean only one thing: Champions League qualification.
“That will not be easy, but then Marinakis is a demanding owner. He looks at the squad today, compares it with the roster from last season and sees a clear uplift in quality. It then falls to the players and coach to make it count.”
Perhaps Marinakis’ hopes of going far in the Europa League are more of a demand, with the Forest squad expected to show their worth on the continental stage.