Official release: Nuno Espirito Santo and Edu’s Nottingham Forest fallout resolved

Behind the scenes: Nuno Espirito Santo and Edu’s Nottingham Forest fallout

Back in European football after 30 years, Nottingham Forest have become one of the sensations of the Premier League. However, the behind-the-scenes atmosphere is not as pleasant as the team’s performance on the pitch — largely due to the deteriorating relationship between Edu Gaspar and Nuno Espirito Santo.

According to The Athletic, the sporting director and the manager had a “spectacular” falling-out over the pursuit of reinforcements. The relationship between the Brazilian and the Portuguese started off poorly, and since then, Forest’s top brass have considered the damage potentially irreparable.

After leaving his role as Arsenal’s sporting director in November 2024, Edu was hired by Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Nottingham Forest, in July this year to take on a newly created position.

The Brazilian holds a leadership role overseeing all football operations, including recruitment, performance, team strategy and player development at the clubs owned by the Greek businessman — including Olympiacos and Rio Ave, as well as the English team.

Edu Gaspar arrived with Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian as his main ally. However, from the outset, Nuno Espirito Santo made his conflicting feelings toward the new executive clear, and Edu himself was informed directly of these misgivings.

Still according to The Athletic, the issue is deeply personal between the manager and the Brazilian. And with the way the situation has unfolded in recent weeks, a reconciliation between the two seems unlikely.

Nuno, for his part, has been — in most cases — the instigator, extremely blunt. Because of this, Edu has kept his distance from Forest’s training ground. The tension between the Portuguese manager and the director worries Marinakis, as the two most important figures in the football department are not even on speaking terms.

On the 15th, Nuno Espirito Santo gave a controversial interview on the eve of the first match of the season. At the time, the Nottingham Forest manager said he was “very concerned” about the planning, as it was, in his words, nowhere near where it needed to be.

At that moment, the club owned by the Greek businessman had brought in four new signings: goalkeeper Angus Gunn, defender Jair, and forwards Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus. Before that, Forest had attempted other signings but failed — which frustrated the Portuguese manager.

In response, Edu Gaspar and company ramped up their market efforts and concluded several new transfers in the following days: defensive midfielder Douglas Luiz, attacking midfielder Omari Hutchinson, and forward Arnaud Kalimuendo. Even so, Nuno remained dissatisfied.

At a press conference last Friday, the Portuguese coach declared that his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis was no longer the same, as they were no longer that close. The reason, in short, was because the Nottingham Forest owner sided with the Brazilian executive.

It is no wonder, then, that rumours of a possible dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo have gained momentum. Asked about the topic, the manager did not deny it, saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” — which could be seen as a personal affront to Marinakis.

On Sunday, before the 1-1 draw between Crystal Palace and Forest at Selhurst Park in the second round of the Premier League, the Portuguese coach denied wanting to leave but admitted that his relationship with Edu and the club’s owner needs to improve, in an interview with Sky Sports.

“(Does relationship with Edu Gaspar and Evangelos Marinakis need to improve?) Yes, that’s what we need and we will do.”