Nottingham Forest fans can breathe a little easier after club owner Evangelos Marinakis moved to dismiss reports of tension with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
Despite occasional clashes in the past, the duo are expected to hold talks soon to ensure the club remains on track.
Past Clashes Sparked Speculation
Marinakis and Espirito Santo haven’t always seen eye-to-eye.
Last season, tensions flared dramatically when the Forest owner stormed onto the pitch at the City Ground to confront his coach after a 2-2 draw with Leicester City.
More recently, Espirito Santo’s candid admission in a press conference that their relationship was “not so good” fueled speculation that he might be replaced or even resign—a claim he quickly denied.
Marinakis Breaks His Silence
Speaking to TNT Sports at the Europa League draw in Monaco, Marinakis sought to put the rumours to rest.
“Yes, Nuno can lead Forest forward. He has been successful, and we’ve achieved things we’ve enjoyed.
Everything is solid. We all want Nottingham to succeed. We are here in the good days but even closer in the difficult days.
Personally, I don’t see a problem. We are united, and we’ll make some corrective actions so everything will be smooth and ready to go.”
He added:
“We have a solid relationship. Of course, sometimes we can be nervous or say things in the heat of the moment, but what counts is the real relationship—between me and Nuno, Nuno and the players, and between the players and ourselves.”
Nuno Espirito Santo Confirms His Commitment
The former Porto boss also addressed rumours of a potential resignation following Forest’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, calling them “nonsense.”
“It is absurd, never,” he told reporters. “Yes, I think I’ll be in charge beyond the international break.
We need to talk about the future of the club and our commitments. We want the same thing—we want the best for Forest.
These conversations should happen at the right moment, and that moment is after the game.
Right now, our focus is on West Ham, then the international break.”
Forest’s Exciting Summer and European Return
Forest are preparing for an exciting return to European competition, where they’ll face Porto, Real Betis, and Malmo among others.
The club has been busy this summer, bringing in new faces including Jair Cunha, Igor Jesus, James McAtee, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Dan Ndoye, Omari Hutchinson, and Douglas Luiz, with spending reportedly around £140 million.
Looking Ahead to Sunday’s Clash
Before Europe beckons, Forest will host Graham Potter’s struggling West Ham United at the City Ground on Sunday, providing another opportunity to see how the Reds’ summer signings are settling in.
