Nottingham Forest in tense start as owner-manager rift grows

Nottingham Forest find themselves navigating a volatile backdrop as the new season begins, with the manager’s job description suddenly in doubt amid reports of a widening split with owner Evangelos Marinakis, even as the club completes a summer of significant transfer activity and looks ahead to its first Europa League campaign in 30 years. Forest kicked off the campaign with a 3-1 win and are preparing for Friday’s European draw, while behind the scenes the board is weighing up future coaching options and how to balance long-term plans with immediate results.

The tensions between Nuno Espirito Santo and Forest’s ownership have intensified despite on-pitch progress. On the eve of and in the wake of the season’s start, reports from Europe have suggested Marinakis is evaluating alternative coaches as part of a standalone review of the club’s direction. The premise, according to those briefings, is that disagreements over transfer strategy in the window have collided with day-to-day planning, leaving Nuno publicly acknowledging a squad that he says feels unsettled. In remarks carried across outlets, he described the situation as: “We are very far off in terms of the squad. The...