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Nuno Espirito Santo Gets the Boot: Nottingham Forest Axes Portuguese Coach After Epic Owner Meltdown

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 6:46 AM ET

Well, well, well. Just when you thought the Premier League couldn’t get any juicier, Nottingham Forest decided to serve us a drama sandwich with extra chaos on the side. Nuno Espirito Santo—yes, that Santo—has officially been shown the door at the City Ground, and honestly, nobody should be surprised at this point.

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

Let’s be real here: Santo basically threw his own career under the bus faster than you can say “Europa League qualification.” The Portuguese manager, who somehow managed to guide Forest to seventh place last season (a miracle in itself), decided that publicly airing his dirty laundry was the smart play. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Picture this—you’re a manager who just secured European football for a club that’s been desperately clawing its way back to relevance, and instead of riding that wave, you decide to have a public spat with your billionaire owner. It’s like winning the lottery and then complaining about the tax implications to the IRS. Not exactly the brightest bulb in the chandelier, if you catch our drift.

The Breakdown: Santo vs. Marinakis

The whole mess started unraveling when Santo opened his mouth about having an “unbalanced” squad that was “very, very far” from ready for the season. Fair enough—every manager has concerns about their team. But then he doubled down by saying his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had gone from “very close” to “not so good.”

Imagine telling your boss in front of the entire office that you two aren’t vibing anymore. That’s essentially what Santo did, except his office happens to be the Premier League, and his boss happens to own multiple football clubs. The audacity is almost impressive. Marinakis, understandably, was “baffled” by these comments. The Greek billionaire probably thought he was living in some alternate universe where managers publicly roast their employers and expect to keep their jobs. This isn’t FIFA career mode, Nuno—there are actual consequences.

The Edu Factor: When New Management Complicates Things

Things got even spicier when former Arsenal technical director Edu Gaspar joined Forest as the head of global football operations. Santo admitted he hadn’t even spoken to Edu, which is like refusing to acknowledge your new stepparent at the dinner table. Professional? Hardly. Effective? Absolutely not.

The relationship between Santo and the club’s hierarchy became more toxic than a Twitter argument about VAR decisions. When your head coach is publicly admitting he can’t communicate with key figures in the organization, you know it’s time to start updating those LinkedIn profiles.

Santo’s Track Record: The Good, The Bad, and The Stubborn

Credit where credit’s due—Santo did manage to achieve something remarkable at Forest. Taking a team that was fighting relegation battles and getting them into European competition is no joke. He won 28 out of 73 games, which isn’t exactly Pep Guardiola numbers, but it got the job done when it mattered most.

However, let’s not pretend this dismissal came out of nowhere. The writing was on the wall when Santo started his public complaint tour. His final game—a humiliating 3-0 home loss to West Ham—was probably the nail in the coffin. Nothing says “I’ve lost the plot” like getting thoroughly outplayed by a team that’s still figuring out what they want to be.

The Replacement Game: Who’s Next?

Now comes the fun part—who’s brave enough to step into this circus? The rumor mill is already spinning faster than a broken washing machine, with names like Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola, and Marco Silva being thrown around.

Pochettino leading the United States national team while potentially eyeing a Premier League return? That’s some next-level multitasking. Meanwhile, Glasner at Crystal Palace and Iraola at Bournemouth are probably wondering if dealing with Marinakis is worth the headache. Marco Silva at Fulham might be the most sensible option, but since when does Forest go for sensible?

The Bigger Picture: Forest’s European Dreams

Here’s the kicker—Forest qualified for the Europa League for the first time in decades, and now they’re starting the European campaign without the manager who got them there. It’s like training for a marathon, qualifying, and then deciding to switch coaches the day before the race.

The timing couldn’t be more awkward. Forest has Arsenal coming up this Saturday, followed by European fixtures that fans have been dreaming about for years. Whoever takes over is walking into a situation where expectations are sky-high, but the foundation is shakier than a house of cards in a hurricane.

The Forest Faithful: Caught in the Middle

Spare a thought for the Nottingham Forest supporters who’ve been through more ups and downs than a theme park ride. They finally get a taste of European football, and now they’re watching their club implode from the inside. These fans have seen relegation battles, financial struggles, and years of mediocrity. They deserved better than this soap opera.

The supporters invested emotionally in Santo’s project, especially after last season’s success. Now they’re left wondering if their European adventure will be over before it really begins. Talk about emotional whiplash.

Lessons in Leadership: What Not to Do

Santo’s departure serves as a masterclass in how not to handle workplace relationships. When you’re dealing with powerful people who control your livelihood, maybe—just maybe—keep the grievances behind closed doors. There’s a difference between being honest and being recklessly transparent.

The Portuguese manager seemed to forget that football is still a business, and businesses don’t typically reward employees who publicly criticize management. It’s Management 101: if you have issues with your boss, you discuss them privately or through proper channels. You don’t hold press conferences about it.

The Marinakis Method: When Owners Strike Back

Evangelos Marinakis didn’t become a billionaire by tolerating public disrespect from employees. His decision to axe Santo sends a clear message to future managers: play ball, or find another playground. It’s ruthless, but it’s also business.

The Forest owner clearly values loyalty and discretion—qualities that Santo seemed to abandon in his final weeks. Marinakis gave Santo a contract extension after achieving European qualification, which makes the public fallout even more bizarre. It’s like being given a raise and then immediately complaining about your working conditions.

Forest’s management approach under Marinakis has been nothing if not eventful, and this latest episode adds another chapter to an already colorful story. The Greek businessman isn’t afraid to make tough decisions, even when they might seem harsh to outsiders.

Whether this move proves to be genius or catastrophic remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain—Nottingham Forest under Marinakis is never boring. Welcome to modern football, where soap opera drama meets billion-dollar business decisions, and sometimes the house always wins.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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