Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly dined with Evangelos Marinakis before clinching the Nottingham Forest job. The Australian was unveiled as the club's new head coach, following the swift dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo. The deal may have been wrapped up in a hurry this week, but the seeds were planted months ago.
Postecoglou replaces Nuno at ForestMarinakis held secret talks in JulyNew boss to debut away at ArsenalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?
According to the in July, Postecoglou sat down for dinner with Marinakis, Forest’s ambitious owner, during a ceremony in Greece where the 60-year-old was honoured for his Europa League triumph with Tottenham. The pair’s bond, rooted in shared Greek heritage, proved crucial in paving the way for Postecoglou's return to English football.
AdvertisementWHAT MARINAKIS SAID
While speculation about Forest’s managerial situation only intensified after their rocky pre-season, Marinakis had long earmarked Postecoglou as a potential successor. At the July event, the Forest chief praised Postecoglou’s pride in his Greek background and said: "What I want to say about Ange is that he has spoken about Greece many times, he is proud to be Greek, and in the great success he had with Tottenham by winning the Europa League, he spoke about Greece.
"(He is) a man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles, it has had a very difficult time in recent years. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece. We must thank him especially for this, and we wish him well, although we are sure that he will do well as he has the ability. Wherever he goes, the successes will come."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
While Nuno had led Forest to their first European qualification in two decades, his relationship with the hierarchy soured rapidly over the summer. The Portuguese coach publicly criticised Forest’s transfer policy and admitted that his once-strong rapport with Marinakis had all but evaporated. Adding fuel to the fire was the arrival of former Arsenal midfielder Edu, installed as Forest’s global head of football. Nuno struggled under the revamped structure, voicing his frustrations behind the scenes. Marinakis, only days ago, dismissed talk of a rift, but his ruthless move in the early hours of Tuesday confirmed where he stood.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR POSTECOGLOU?
For Postecoglou, the Forest job represents redemption after a brutal ending at Tottenham. Despite guiding Spurs to a historic Europa League win, he was shown the door after their dismal 17th-place Premier League finish. However, his baptism of fire couldn’t be tougher as Forest travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal on September 13, right after the international break.
