It’s over: ex Gunner to leave Forest
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 08.03.26. | 14:50
After only eight months in charge, the Brazilian will leave his role with Nottingham
It was supposed to be the staple signing, but after only eigth months, four coaches and 200 million pounds spent, it will end disappointingly. As reliable Athletic announced that former Arsenal player and sporting director Edu will step down from his role at Nottingham Forest at the end of the season. After spending five years at the Emirates, the Brazilian executive got even bigger role - global head of football in the empire of Greek multimillionaire Evangelos Marinakis, which consists of English Nottingham Forest, Greeke’s Olympiacos and Portuguese Rio Ave. But things didn’t plan out, to put it mildly and Edu will be looking for a new job come June. So, what happened?
The first surprise clash happened when Edu was appointed and he almost immediately clashed with coach Nuno Espirito Santo. The pair didn’t seem to get along from the off, but one cannot ignore the fact that with Edu came a powerful businessman Kia Joorabchian, and until then, Nuno’s agent was a powerful Portuguese Jorge Mendes. The majority of transfers didn’t come via Mendes in July and that certainly didn’t help. Santo became publicly unhappy and Marinakis stood by Edu and the coach was sacked. From that point, Forest became the relegation fighter and changed three coaches in a matter of months. Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche came and went in a few weeks and former Wolverhampton manager Vitor Pereira is the current one.
But according to Athletic, the vast majority of head coaches is not what prevailed in surprise Marinakis decision to end collaboration with Edu after only eight months. The Brazilian was hardly involved in all those changes but was in the transfer dealings and they have not been good. Edu spent 200 million pounds in August 2025 on 13 new additions, many of whom have failed to make an impact. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz – two signings that were influenced by Edu – saw their loan spells terminated early, while Arnaud Kalimuendo was loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt after failing to impress Dyche. Lorenzo Lucca, a January loan signing from Napoli, is also among those to have struggled to make a mark. Jair Cunha continues to show his promise in defense and Omari Hutchinson – the club record 35 million signing from Ipswich – looks like a young man with potential. But Marinakis didn’t want developing players, he wanted his team to make a further impact this season, not to fight for relegation. That is why Edu will look for another job.
FA CUP - ROUND OF 16
Friday
Wolverhampton - Liverpool 1-3 (0-0)
/Hwang 90+1 - Robertson 51, Salah 53, Jones 74/
Saturday
Mansfield - Arsenal 1-2 (0-1)
/Evans 50 - Madueke 41, Eze 66/
Wrexham - Chelsea 2-4 a.e.t. (1-1)
/Smith 18, Doyle 78 - Okonkwo 40 og, Acheapong 82, Garnacho 96, 120+5/
Newcastle - Manchester City 1-3 (1-1)
/Barnes 18 - Savinho 39, Marmoush 47,65/
Sunday
15.00: (1.55) Fulham (4.20) Southampton (5.90)
16.30: (7.75) Port Vale (4.50) Sunderland (1.42)
19.30: (1.45) Leeds (4.65) Norwich (6.50)
Monday
22.30: (2.95) West Ham (3.45) Brentford (2.35)
***odds are subject to change***