Trouble for Aina: Upheaval predicted for Forest after Nuno’s blunt remarks

The implied tensions between Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis could indirectly mar Ola Aina’s season at Nottingham Forest, as per ESPN.

Following last season’s public disagreement between Marinakis and Espirito Santo over the handling of Taiwo Awoniyi’s abdominal injury sustained against Leicester City on May 11, 2025, the relationship between the pair came under scrutiny. 

Thus, the Portuguese manager’s comments talking about the Tricky Trees’ lack of depth before the season’s commencement were instructive, and the Forest boss has now risked the ire of Marinakis. 

Speaking to Sky before Forest’s visit to Crystal Palace on Sunday, Espirito Santo revealed that his relationship with the club supremo is “not good”. 

“I have always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very, very close, almost on a daily basis,” Nuno said on Friday. 

“This season, not so well. I always believed that dialogue and what you say, or your opinions, are always valid. Because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us.

“Our relationship has changed. It’s not so close. It’s not on a daily basis. It’s not good, everyone at the club should be together but it’s not the reality.”

Furthermore, the former Valencia and Wolverhampton Wanderers manager hinted at a potential departure after extra questioning. 

“I hope so but I don’t know, that I cannot answer,” said Espirito Santo. “On my side, I am doing whatever I can to help Forest, my commitment is something (that I see) and I feel it.”

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire” in response to suggestions his role at the club is under threat. We know each other very well, and we have all been in the industry for a while now.

“And where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so I know how things work, but I’m here to do my job. I understand, because I’m worried. I’m the first one to be worried. I’m the first one to be concerned.”

According to respected French journalist Julien Laurens, those comments could lead to the Portuguese manager’s dismissal if Forest’s form plummets. 

Laurens stated that despite the Tricky Trees’ seventh-place finish last season, their highest top-flight position since 1994-95 earning European football, pre-season results and a lack of squad improvements worsened ongoing tensions. 

“There was a lot of tension on where the squad was at, just before the start of the season” said Laurens on ESPN. “They started well against Brentford, but those tensions are still very much there. Marinakis knows that the team overperformed last season, and that it would be difficult to do the same.

“I think that Nuno deserves credit for what happened, and that credit buys him a bit of time. Although now I believe that two or three defeats in a row and he’ll be gone.”

Espirito Santo’s team had initially qualified for the Conference League after ending seventh, but Crystal Palace’s demotion to Europe’s third-tier competition has seen the Tricky Trees replace the Eagles in the Europa League.

Any change of head coach at the City Ground would be far from ideal for Aina and his colleagues, given that the Portuguese manager is behind the club’s transformation from relegation strugglers to qualifying for Europe. 

As a result of Forest’s rise, Aina has gained added recognition for his performances at full-back, and the defender was briefly linked with a transfer to Manchester City.

However, no such transfer materialised, and the Nigeria international has since signed an extension to keep him at the City Ground until 2028.

Aina played 35 times for Forest last season in the Premier League, scoring twice, and the defender featured in the Tricky Trees' opening day win over Brentford.

The full-back is expected to play when Espirito Santo’s team travel to to face Palace at Selhurst Park.