Nuno Espirito Santo’s fate at Nottingham Forest may have been sealed weeks before his late-night dismissal, despite Evangelos Marinakis insisting their relationship was ‘solid’.
The Portuguese coach was sacked just three games into the Premier League season after tensions with the ownership boiled over, bringing a sudden end to a reign that had seen him deliver Forest’s first European campaign this century.
Speaking at the Europa League draw in Monaco at the end of August, Marinakis moved to cool speculation over a rift with his manager.
‘We have a solid relation,’ he said. ‘Of course sometimes you can be nervous, we can say one thing, we can say another, but what counts at the end of the day is the real relation between me and Nuno, between Nuno and the players and between the players and ourselves. Everything is solid. We all want Nottingham to succeed.’
Marinakis added: ‘We are here in the good days but we are even closer in the difficult days. Personally I don’t see a problem.
‘I’m going to London today, I’m flying back, we will meet each other and I don’t see any problem whatsoever and we are all together, united, and we will make some corrective actions and everything will be smooth and ready to go.’
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis insisted that his relationship with Nuno Espirito Santo was ‘solid’ only two weeks ago
The Portuguese coach was sacked just three games into the Premier League season after tensions with the ownership boiled over
When asked directly if Nuno was the man to lead Forest forward, Marinakis replied: ‘He has been successful and we have done things we have enjoyed because now we can afford to do things that we enjoy.
‘So as long as we enjoy it, we can go all the way in the Europa League and also in Premier League we need to work hard and have an even better season.’
Those words now ring hollow after Nuno’s departure was confirmed in a 12.15am statement on Tuesday.
The club thanked him for a ‘very successful era’ but said he had been ‘relieved of his duties following recent circumstances’.
The 51-year-old had admitted only last month that his relationship with Marinakis was ‘not so good’, fuelling talk of a split.
He had also publicly criticised Forest’s transfer strategy, while struggling to work within the new structure put in place when former Arsenal executive Edu became global head of football in July.
Club-record signing Omari Hutchinson was left out of Forest’s Europa League squad in another move that placed Nuno at odds with his bosses, while the final straw may have been a 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham before the international break, watched from the stands by Marinakis.
Forest are now expected to move quickly, with former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou set to take charge according to reports.
Forest suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat by West Ham in their final match before the international break
The 60-year-old Australian, who left Spurs in June after guiding them to Europa League glory, is expected to be confirmed within 24 hours and could be in the dugout for Saturday’s trip to Arsenal.
Postecoglou is poised to bring several members of his Spurs coaching staff with him to the City Ground. Marinakis has previously spoken warmly of the Australian, praising his achievements and Greek heritage at a ceremony earlier this year.
