Managerial Hot Seat
Since the takeover in 2017, Nottingham Forest has changed numerous managers – 14 in total.
In the past season alone, the English club parted ways with, among others, Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, and now Vitor Pereria. The latter had been in office since February and must now make way for Glasner.
Marinakis Confronts Own Manager
An example of Marinakis' short fuse was evident in May 2025.
After a disappointing 2:2 draw against already relegated Leicester City, the Greek stormed onto the pitch and confronted manager Nuno Espírito Santo in front of rolling cameras. He spoke to him for about 20 seconds before visibly angrily heading towards the changing room.
The relationship between the two escalated in the following weeks, and four months later, the Portuguese, popular with fans, was gone – despite having previously led the club to European competition, for the first time in 30 years.
39 Days for Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou was presented as his successor – and would remain for exactly 39 days. This places the Australian second for the shortest managerial tenures in Premier League history.
Marinakis had already left the stadium about half an hour before the final whistle during Nottingham's 0:2 defeat against Chelsea and informed his Technical Director George Syrianos that he wanted to dismiss manager Postecoglou. Just ten minutes after the final whistle, Postecoglou was informed of the decision in the players' tunnel.
Ban After Spitting Incident Against Referee
However, Marinakis not only clashes with his managers but also with the Premier League itself. In October 2024, he was banned for five games by the English Football Association.
After a 0:1 defeat against Fulham, he allegedly spat at referee Josh Smith. The Greek explained that the incident was unintentional and merely a consequence of a coughing fit from smoking a cigar.
However, surveillance camera footage showed a different depiction: according to the footage, the scene did not appear accidental, but deliberate.
"As I walked through the tunnel after the match, Mr. Marinakis spat on the ground, directly next to my left foot," Smith described the incident.
"Go and Choke"
Even before his time in Nottingham, he already made negative headlines at his first club, Olympiakos Piraeus.
Following a 0:3 defeat in May 2018, he reportedly addressed his players with the following words: "You are not even worth the toilet paper in our training centre. Instead of wishing you a nice holiday, I say: go and choke."
Already in the previous month, Marinakis had imposed a fine of 400,000 Euros on the team for their performances.
Protest on the Pitch
In April 2023, severe disturbances occurred during the Greek league derby between Olympiakos Piraeus and AEK Athens (1:3). After AEK's third goal in the 91st minute, Marinakis protested the referee's decision on the pitch.
After the final whistle, the situation escalated further: dozens of enraged Olympiakos ultras stormed the pitch and caused chaotic scenes.
In the Crosshairs of Justice
The long list of scandals continues. Marinakis has repeatedly been in the crosshairs of justice.
The accusations were at times serious, however, he was never convicted – according to court proceedings, the evidence was insufficient in each case. Doubts about the independence of the Greek judiciary were repeatedly raised in this context.
He first became the focus of investigations in 2011 in what was then the biggest Greek football scandal. At the time, it involved corruption, match-fixing, and the formation of a criminal organisation. Marinakis was interrogated along with 68 other suspects.
In 2015, new allegations emerged in connection with another match-fixing scandal. Furthermore, he was accused of ordering a bomb attack on a referee's bakery after the referee allegedly refused to influence a desired result. There were also proceedings related to alleged heroin smuggling.
Marinakis Heavily Implicated in Court
In spring 2025, Marinakis was also indicted in Greece. The 58-year-old and 141 other individuals are accused, among other things, of forming a criminal organisation and causing life-threatening explosions at sporting events. The defendants denied all accusations.
The investigations had begun after severe riots occurred in December 2023 following a women's volleyball match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos Athens. A police officer was hit in the leg by a flare. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Steve Cooper Remained the Longest in Nottingham
How the collaboration between Marinakis and Glasner will unfold remains to be seen. It is equally uncertain how long the Austrian can actually remain in office. The dismissal of Nuno Espírito Santo clearly demonstrated that even success does not protect against termination.
Steve Cooper had the longest managerial tenure in the Marinakis era, lasting 819 days – an outlier in an otherwise volatile environment characterised by frequent changes.
Previous History with Crystal Palace
Marinakis, incidentally, already has a contentious history with Oliver Glasner even before their collaboration.
Because it was Marinakis, of all people, who was one of the driving forces behind Crystal Palace's exclusion from the Europa League last year. He wrote to UEFA regarding a violation by the "Eagles" of the multi-club ownership rule.
Nottingham Forest directly benefited from the decision and advanced into the competition instead of the FA Cup winner.
While Oliver Glasner, with Crystal Palace, secured a spot in the Europa League by winning the Conference League, Nottingham Forest experienced a disappointing league season.
Despite investments worth millions, the "Tricky Trees" only finished 16th and clearly missed out on international competition.
