What Nottingham Forest owner said about ex Celtic and Tottenham boss as boss appointment expected 'imminently'
The former Celtic gaffer is headed for the City Ground following the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo
Only months after qualifying for European Football for the first time in thirty years, Nottingham Forest manager, Nuno Espirito Santo has parted ways with the club, following a long-standing feud with owner, Evangelos Marinakis.
Santo transformed a Forest team that was battling relegation into an established Premier League outfit, just narrowly missing out on Champions League football last season. However, as their form deteriorated towards the end of last season, so did his relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
Marinakis doesn’t appear to be wasting any time finding a replacement for Nuno, as a former Celtic and Tottenham manager is waiting in the wings to take over at the City Ground. The Greek owner seems to have a soft spot for his heritage.
Postecoglou Forest appointment to be announced ‘imminently’
According to The Telegraph, Ange Postecoglou is expected to be announced as the new Nottingham Forest head coach ‘imminently’, following Nuno’s dismissal. The Aussie is believed to have held talks with Marinakis through the night and has agreed a contract with the club until the end of the season.
Postecoglou won the Europa League with Tottenham in June, but was sacked weeks later due to his poor record domestically, as the North London side finished 17th in the Premier League table. The 60-year old’s first game in the dugout for Forest is expected to be this weekend against his former rivals Arsenal, in what will be a tough fixture at The Emirates.
With the appointment, Marinakis is acquiring a serial winner, who has achieved silverware almost everywhere he has been. At Celtic, he won five trophies from a possible six, despite taking over when Rangers were in the ascendancy. In his second season where he famously “always win things”, Postecoglou won the domestic treble at Celtic Park.
Greek connection edged it for Ange
The exuberant Forest owner, Marinakis has praised Postecoglou in the past for never forgetting his Greek roots. Despite representing Australia at International level, the former Celtic boss was born in Nea Filadelfeia, a suburban town near Athens. Even though he migrated to Australia when he was five, he has always been proud of his heritage, something which Marinakis admires about his new coach.
According to The Athletic, when Marinakis awarded Postecoglou with an award in July, he 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”
“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.”