Nuno's future as Nottingham Forest boss uncertain

Nuno Espirito Santo's early arsenic Nottingham Forest head is uncertain aft a breakdown successful his narration pinch proprietor Evangelos Marinakis.

Sources person told BBC Sport that Nuno's position is not wholly safe contempt past season's accomplishment of qualifying for Europe, and their triumph complete Brentford successful nan first information of matches successful this season's Premier League connected Sunday.

The uncertainty, according to sources, has now stretched to nan playing squad, who are said to beryllium alert of nan situation.

On Friday, 51-year-old Nuno said "where there's smoke, there's fire" amid rumours astir his job.

"I ever had a very bully narration pinch nan proprietor - past play we were very adjacent and said connected a regular basis," he added.

"This play it is not truthful good [between us], but I ever judge that speech is important because my interest is nan squad and nan play we person up of us. Our narration has changed and we are not arsenic close."

When asked if it was bully that his narration pinch Marinakis had changed, Nuno said: "No, it is not good. I deliberation everybody astatine nan nine should beryllium together but this is not nan reality."

Forest person been progressive successful nan transportation marketplace this summer, signing 7 players - though they did waste winger Anthony Elanga to Newcastle for £55m.

But earlier past Sunday's 3-1 triumph complete Brentford, Nuno outlined his transportation concerns.

"We person doubts, who is going to beryllium [here], erstwhile are they [new signings] going to come? All these things create doubts," he said.

"Not only maine but successful nan club. What we want is game-by-game to person arsenic galore options arsenic possible. Europe will travel after, and for judge it will beryllium better, but for now until that happens it is simply a awesome concern.

"The proprietor is aware, nan nine is aware, everyone is aware. Everybody knows nan reality. This is simply a mislaid chance that we had arsenic a group to do it."

There person been suggestions Nuno has not been afloat progressive successful nan club's recruitment this summer, which could beryllium a facet successful nan deterioration of his narration pinch Marinakis.

Pressed further connected rumours his early was successful doubt, Nuno told BBC Radio Nottingham: "Nothing has been said to me. I'm conscionable addressing [the rumours] because we are talking, and this is nationalist - and erstwhile thing is public, I deliberation we should talk astir it.

"How do I consciousness astir it? I consciousness sorry. I deliberation astir nan players, because coming they were alert of things successful nan morning, and I could spot it successful their faces.

"But I respond arsenic I deliberation I should - arsenic I ever person successful my life - by facing things and doing nan champion I tin until nan very past moment.

"I admit nan respect and nan feelings nan fans person towards me. Now that we are successful Europe, I deliberation nan city's alive. When I spell out, I consciousness this emotion - and I conscionable person to convey them."

In May, Marinakis appeared to face Nuno connected nan transportation aft a 2-2 tie against Leicester astatine nan City Ground.

Forest later said nan incident was because of nan owner's vexation that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play pursuing an 88th-minute injury, which subsequently required what was described arsenic "urgent" surgery.

The nine said location was "no confrontation" and it was "fake news" to propose otherwise.

Nuno was appointed Forest head in December 2023 and successfully steered nan nine distant from relegation that campaign, contempt a four-point conclusion for breaching profit and sustainability rules.

He past guided Forest to seventh successful nan Premier League past play - their highest decorativeness since 1994-95 - arsenic they qualified for Europe for nan first clip successful 3 decades.

The erstwhile Wolves and Tottenham leader signed a caller three-year contract successful June, pinch Marinakis describing their narration arsenic "strong and solid".

Forest were initially placed into nan Conference League but moved up to nan Europa League aft Crystal Palace were demoted for breaching Uefa's multi-club ownership rules.

Forest recreation to Palace successful nan Premier League connected Sunday.

Like Palace, Forest were besides astatine consequence of falling foul of Uefa's multi-club ownership rules because Marinakis besides controls Greek broadside Olympiakos.

In nan European governing body's rulebook, a nine must beryllium they are not "simultaneously progressive successful immoderate capacity whatsoever successful nan management, administration, and/or sporting capacity of much than 1 nine participating successful a Uefa nine competition".

The 58-year-old Marinakis avoided immoderate imaginable reward by diluting his control of nan Premier League side, a measurement which was announced successful April, erstwhile location was nan anticipation of some teams qualifying for nan Champions League.

Ultimately, location were nary sanctions to debar and nary lawsuit to reply for Forest, because they fell short successful their Champions League situation and are truthful not successful nan aforesaid title arsenic Olympiakos.

In June, Marinakis efficaciously regained power and disbanded nan unsighted spot he had group up to oversee nine matters.

Companies House files show nan 3 board appointed astatine Forest astatine nan extremity of April were each terminated from nan roles connected 6 June.

Nottingham Forest Fan writer Pat Riddell

When Nuno Espirito Santo said past week "we person a awesome problem", it was assumed he was conscionable taking nan power disconnected nan Nottingham Forest squad earlier Sunday's Premier League opener against Brentford.

The hold from Uefa successful confirming nan Reds' Europa League position was ever going to effect nan number and calibre of signings that would get astatine nan City Ground, and nan Morgan Gibbs-White saga surely did not thief successful that respect.

But his comments appeared to conscionable beryllium a reality cheque successful lawsuit Forest did not deed nan crushed moving successful nan first fewer games of nan season. Friday's property convention sheds caller ray connected his narration pinch nan proprietor Evangelos Marinakis - a narration that sounds broken, perchance beyond repair.

We person been present earlier - galore times, to beryllium honest, and astir precocious pinch Steve Cooper. Rumours of a sacking circulated earlier he signed a caller statement successful October 2022, conscionable days aft a 4-0 conclusion astatine Leicester City. And location were much rumours again towards nan extremity of nan 2022-23 season. The end, of course, did not travel until December that year.

The fans' guidance is going to beryllium 1 of overwhelming daze and disappointment. While Cooper did nan seemingly intolerable and yet sewage america promoted, Nuno went 1 amended and sewage america to nan brink of nan Champions League.

And, while it has only been 1 game, location was grounds against Brentford that Forest could predominate possession and return power of games - thing we seldom saw during nan past campaign.

This play was shaping up to beryllium peculiarly exciting, pinch nan club's first European escapade successful 30 years and nan strongest squad we've seen astatine nan City Ground successful my lifetime.

Marinakis has nan ambition but it's Nuno who has taken nan nine to heights we each dreamed of. Forest person ever performed champion erstwhile there's been trust, stableness and togetherness astatine nan club. This could propulsion everything into chaos.