'You didn't win this fight' - Simon Jordan reacts after Nuno Espirito Santo cuts his Nottingham Forest career short in Evangelos Marinakis clash
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Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media/Getty Images/talkSPORT via YouTube
Jack Heath
Tue 2 September 2025 15:59, UK
Simon Jordan has given his frank thoughts following Nuno Espirito Santo’s clash with owner Evangelos Marinakis at Nottingham Forest.
The former Wolves manager has started the Premier League season in mediocre fashion after just four points in their opening three games.
Nottingham Forest lost 3-0 to West Ham just before international break (31 August), summing up their turbulent start to the new campaign.
This up and down nature has been likely caused by the reported “bust-up” between Nottingham Forest manager Espirito Santo and owner Marinakis.
The nature of the conflict has even put the Portuguese’s future in doubt as sources told Football Insider on 31 August that Nottingham Forest could sack Espirito Santo if the Greek owner felt a change would improve the fortunes of the club.
Former Crystal Palace chairman Jordan has weighed in on the owner-manager relations between the pair, believing the ex-Valencia manager has cut his career short due to his off-field antics.
Credit: Imago
Discussing the ongoing situation at Forest on talkSPORT (2 September), the ex-Palace chairman highlighted the Greek owner’s dedication to the club.
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Jordan said: “I would imagine Marinakis is a type of guy that wants to win at all costs and people don’t stand in his way, whoever they are.
And if they do, they get put in their place.”
The presenter then went on to focus on the Garibaldi manager and how his personality may be one of the reasons why Espirito Santo and Marinakis have had a reported falling out.
He stated: “Nuno Espirito Santo has this reputation.
People think he’s a mild-mannered, congenial,
pleasant fellow but I understood he was quite a difficult [man] when he was at Wolves and people get fed up with his politicking and playing out to certain galleries and he’s just done it again and it won’t serve him well.”
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Regarding the clash between the pair, the businessman backed the Forest owner and gave the Portuguese manager a firm warning over his actions.
Jordan added: “The one thing you can say about Marinakis is he’s committed to the well-being of his football club.
“However he achieves it, he will spend money, he will push the orthodoxy, he will challenge his system,
he will fight his corner, he will not conform to what people think of the noise.
“So all of that tells you that you’ve got an owner that’s committed.
You [Espirito Santo] want to have a fight with Maranakis, have it in private.
“Don’t have it in the media.
All you did was shorten your career span at Nottingham Forest.”
Football Insider verdict
Since the shock defeat to West Ham last weekend, the rumours over Espirito Santo’s future have raged on as to whether he will stay on as Forest boss come the end of the international break.
The way that Marinakis has been splashing the cash during the summer transfer window suggests one of two things.
Either the Greek owner is giving the Portuguese the necessary firepower to compete domestically and continentally this season or he is preparing to bolster the squad for the next manager to take it to the next level.
Nuno Espirito Santo Nottingham Forest recordGames managed71Wins30Draws15Losses26(Source: Sofascore)
The former Tottenham boss’ rigid defensive solidity has compromised the way the Garibaldi attack which is certainly far from free-flowing.
Therefore, it is possible the ex-Porto manager has maybe gone as far as he can at the City Ground with his tactics holding the team back, especially given the array of attacking talent on show.
Espirito Santo has built a solid foundation, much like Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool, but now a new manager is needed to take Forest to that next level.