The new Premier League season has barely begun, yet Nottingham Forest already find themselves in the middle of a storm. Nuno Espírito Santo, who was handed a three-year contract extension in June, has openly admitted that his once-strong relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis is now fractured. For a manager who led the club into European football for the first time in three decades, such candid words have raised serious questions about his future at the City Ground.
Last season, Nuno and Marinakis were reportedly in daily contact, building decisions on mutual trust and open dialogue. According to the Portuguese coach, that closeness has now all but disappeared. Speaking in a tense press conference, he admitted the relationship has “changed” and that he cannot pretend it is the same as before. The cause of the shift remains unclear, but his recent public frustrations about squad depth and transfer activity are believed to have played a part.
Managers often walk a fine line between voicing concerns and upsetting the hierarchy, and Nuno seems to have crossed it. Only a week ago, he highlighted the need for reinforcements across nearly every position, a statement that did not sit comfortably with the board. While Forest have since added players like Omari Hutchinson, James McAtee, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Douglas Luiz, the timing of his remarks appears to have created a rift that has not healed.
The coach’s acknowledgment that “there is no smoke without fire” when asked about rumors of his potential dismissal only intensified speculation. Rarely does a manager speak so frankly about instability at the top unless there is real tension behind the scenes.
What makes the situation even more precarious is that the season is only just underway. Forest opened with a win against Brentford, but Nuno’s post-match comments were anything but celebratory. Instead of focusing on the positives, he reiterated his concern about limited options and the danger of being caught short as the campaign unfolds.
Such an approach can be interpreted in two ways. On one hand, Nuno is trying to safeguard his team, ensuring expectations are realistic and pressure is shared with the board. On the other, his repeated public warnings risk looking like attempts to shield himself from blame should results turn sour. That perception alone can strain a manager-owner relationship, particularly when the owner expects loyalty and discretion.
