Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo walks around the pitch with Taiwo Awoniyi and Chris Wood as they applaud the fans after the Premier League match at City Ground, Nottingham.
Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has responded to ongoing talks about his fallout with the club owner Evangelos Marinakis, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Portuguese manager replaced Steve Cooper at the Forest dugout two years ago and took a side struggling with relegation to Europe last season, the first time they’ve achieved such a feat in almost 30 years.
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As a result of his hard work, the club rewarded Nuno with a three-year deal ahead of the 2025/2026 season as they looked to march onward, but it appears things have soured between the former Wolves coach and Mr Marinakis.
The Greek owner was seen having a scuffle with Nuno Espirito Santo last season in the 2-2 draw against Leicester City, as they dropped points in what was a crucial run that could’ve secured Champions League football for the Reds.
Qué vergüenza me da esto.
Evangelos Marinakis, dueño del Nottingham Forest, ha saltado al campo para reprocharle el resultado de hoy a Nuno Espirito Santo, que los ha tenido en puestos europeos toda la temporada… Qué imagen más bochornosa.pic.twitter.com/1mto5n3uaK
— Álvaro de Grado (@AlvarodeGrado) May 11, 2025
However, the duo clarified afterwards, claiming the rift was because of the ref’s reaction to Taiwo Awoniyi’s nasty abdominal injury.
One gameweek into the season, it appears the two-time UEFA Champions League winners might be going into the market to look for another coach after the ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss mentioned his relationship with Mr Marinakis has deteriorated.
“I always had a good relationship with the owner. Last season, it was very close, [we spoke] almost on a daily basis,” the 51-year-old said in his pre-match interview ahead of Forest’s game against Crystal Palace as per Sky Sports.
“This season, not so well, but I always believe we can dialogue, and what we say is always valid because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us, but our relationship has changed.
“Yes, it’s not so close, it’s not on a daily basis, so it’s not good. 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.
“I think everyone at the club should be together, but it is not our reality,” Nuno concluded.
“Our relationship has changed… it’s not good.”
Nuno Espirito Santo says the relationship between himself and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has changed for the worse. pic.twitter.com/bfcv7f43uf
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 22, 2025
Nuno, who’s always early to his match conferences, was surprisingly late today, another hint that his relationship with the club owner has soured. As per Nottingham Post, the 51-year-old arrived more than 10 minutes late.
Asked if the relationship with the owner could grow closer again, the former FC Porto goalkeeper said;
“I hope so. I don’t know. That I cannot answer. On my side, I am doing whatever I can to help Forest. My commitment is – I see it and I feel it.”
Another report from Sky Sports claims Nuno’s statement has left Marinakis baffled. The Portuguese coach initially claimed that the Forest squad isn’t where they should be, based on what the season would demand from them.
Since then, the Olympiakos owner has forked out over £118m worth of spending on four new players in the last week, bringing in Omari Hutchinson, Arnaud Kalimuendo, James McAtee and Dan Ndoye.
That level of spending, the Greek billionaire feels, is proof that Nuno still had his full confidence and backing.
