Nottingham Forest’s Europa League dream lasted longer than Nuno’s job—and that’s saying something. Nottingham Forest qualified for Europe for the first time in 30 years. They spent over £140 million on transfers during the summer. They were placed in a Europa League group with Marseille, Genk, and Slavia Prague. Then, just three games into the Premier League season, they fired the manager who made it all happen.
Of course, they did.
Nuno Espírito Santo is out. Evangelos Marinakis is still in. Forest fans are now left wondering whether their club is a football team or a billionaire’s mood board, curated by a man who treats it like he’s in a Netflix documentary.
The Messiah Complex
Evangelos Marinakis doesn’t just own Nottingham Forest. He stars in it. He’s the main character, the antagonist, the narrator, and the guy who storms the pitch mid-match as if he’s auditioning for a role but forgot it’s not about football.
He’s also the man who, just days after signing Ukrainian international Zinchenko, publicly suggested that Ukraine should give land to Russia to end the war. This happened during a live debate with Boris Johnson, who responded as if someone had just asked him to DJ a funeral. Zinchenko, meanwhile, wasn’t even included in Forest’s Europa League squad. It’s like buying a Tesla and then banning electricity or signing a vegan striker and opening a steakhouse at the training ground.
Marinakis tried to explain it all in a press conference that felt more like damage control and less like a casual chat.
The Nuno Fallout
Let’s rewind. Nuno took over in December 2023. Forest were struggling. He kept them in the league. Then he led them to seventh place in 2024/25, their highest finish in decades. He was given a new contract in June. By August, he was questioning the club’s transfer strategy. By September 8th, he was gone.
Marinakis claimed their relationship was “solid” and “united” just days before the dismissal. He also said, “We are even closer in the difficult days,” which is a poetic way of saying, “I’m about to fire you and leak it to Fabrizio.”
This wasn’t a tactical decision. It was a vibe shift. Nuno looked like a man trying to explain quantum physics to a toddler with a yacht. Marinakis, meanwhile, was reportedly “baffled” by Nuno’s decisions, presumably because they involved actual football logic and not feelings, horoscopes, or a coin toss.
The Owner Who Thinks He’s Everyone
Marinakis isn’t just an owner. He’s
• The Manager: Storms the pitch, criticises coaches, and reportedly vetoes squad selections.
• The Diplomat: Makes geopolitical statements while his Ukrainian left-back watches from the bench as if he’s in a game show.
• The Messiah: Talks about “corrective actions” and “unity” as if he’s leading a cult, not a football club.
He even banned Gary Neville from the City Ground after Neville called his pitch invasion “disgraceful” on live TV. Because nothing says “stable leadership” like banning pundits for their opinions. What’s next—sending Roy Keane to the Hague for saying the midfield lacks bite?
Even the pundits looked like they needed a group hug and a bottle of wine after trying to unpack Marinakis’ logic. It was less about post-match analysis and more like a hostage negotiation.
The Europa League Farce
Forest were only in the Europa League because Crystal Palace was disqualified for multi-club ownership violations. Palace fans responded with a banner showing Marinakis holding a gun to Morgan Gibbs-White’s head, which the FA is now investigating. Because nothing says “European football” like a geopolitical scandal, a banned pundit, and a banner that looks like it was designed by Quentin Tarantino.
Forest reportedly wrote a letter to UEFA that helped trigger Palace’s demotion. Palace chairman Steve Parish called it “the biggest injustice in football history.” That’s rich coming from a man who once gave Christian Benteke a five-year deal.
So to recap:
• Forest got into Europe via a loophole.
• Their owner got into a geopolitical spat.
• Their manager got sacked before the group stage.
• Their Ukrainian signing got left out of the squad.
• Their fans are still trying to figure out if this is real life or a Black Mirror episode directed by Guy Ritchie.
TikTok has already turned it into a meme. Marinakis is trending like he just dropped a diss track on his own manager.
Final Thought
Evangelos Marinakis isn’t running a football club. He’s running a narrative. One where he’s always right, always central, and always one press conference away from rewriting history.
Forest didn’t lose a manager. They lost the plot. If you’re wondering who’s next in the dugout – probably someone with a LinkedIn profile that says “willing to work under surveillance” and a VPN installed on their tactics board – just feel for Ange Postecoglou.
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