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When the announcement was made, it felt as though Nottingham Forest had appointed Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti or Jurgen Klopp.
In July, Forest enthusiastically welcomed a ‘highly respected executive’ into their ‘family’, making them ‘proud’ and ‘happy’. With such an introduction, Edu Gaspar has significant expectations to meet, especially now that there’s been a managerial shift at City Ground.
Nuno Espirito Santo wasn’t impressed with Forest’s new global head of football, leaving just two months after the Brazilian’s appointment. Now, Ange Postecoglou will lead the team for Saturday’s match against Arsenal.
With Nuno removed from the equation, Edu has the opportunity to assert his influence in his new position, meant to span across Marinakis’ clubs. Forest views Edu’s hire as one of their most pivotal in years, anticipating his leadership will propel them forward.
At Arsenal, where Edu served as technical director and later sporting director over five years, he thrived. He was credited with revitalizing the culture at the training ground after Arsene Wenger’s era and effectively liaising between players, coach Mikel Arteta, and the ownership.
Edu joined Nottingham Forest this summer as part of his role in Evangelos Marinakis’ stable of clubs
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He oversaw a transformation of Arsenal in his five years there, returning the club to the elite levels of European football
Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure was short-lived post-Edu’s appointment, as he was dismissed by owner Evangelos Marinakis following a significant conflict with the Brazilian.
The 47-year-old Edu is known for his impressive communication skills and has gained respect from players, owing partly to his successful career, which includes winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a Copa America, and the Confederations Cup.
Now Nuno has departed, we will have a much better idea of what Edu can bring to Forest. The Brazilian deliberately stayed away from the training ground while Nuno was there but we can expect him to be present far more often – assuming Postecoglou does not object.
Yet Forest need Edu to do more than gee up the players or sweet-talk his fellow executives. Marinakis wants Forest to join the global elite and he expects Edu to lead them there. Clearly, Nuno was highly sceptical, and it was seen as one of the biggest factors in his exit just months after leading his team to their first European campaign in 30 years.
But Edu deserves a chance to prove Nuno wrong.
Why have Forest hired Edu?
With his past at Arsenal and from 2016 to 2019 as ‘general coordinator’ of the Brazil national team, for whom he won 15 caps as a player, Forest believe Edu can open doors that might previously have been closed. His reputation across the game means the biggest names pick up the phone to him – vital when competing to sign coveted players, negotiating contracts with existing stars or discovering the best young talent.
Daily Mail Sport understands Edu landed a significant pay rise at Forest, who admired the way he worked to unify key areas at Arsenal, who were in a mess when Edu, Mikel Arteta and future chief executive Vinai Venkatesham joined in the aftermath of a sticky start to post-Wenger life under Unai Emery and head of football Raul Sanllehi, both of whom were ousted in the 2019-20 season.
By the time Edu left his post, Arsenal were one of the strongest clubs in the country, Champions League regulars again and within a whisker of winning their first Premier League title since the one he had lifted himself in 2004.
Edu is described as a charming, charismatic figure, who has a feel for dressing-room dynamics and a natural way of bringing people together. That should come in handy for his brief, which is to ensure there is a coherent approach uniting Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave.
Edu’s established status as a high-level player has won him the respect of dressing rooms and allowed him to get his ideas across
From 2016 to 2019 he was also the general coordinator for Brazil, who he had won 15 caps for as a player
This relates not just to the way they recruit, scout and handle data, but is also about setting standards at the training ground and setting clear goals for key staff. Members of the leadership team are expected to meet Edu frequently to discuss progress.
This mirrors his methods at Arsenal, where Edu’s collaborative approach meant senior officials were never left in the dark. The recruitment department would know at the start of each window exactly how much money was available and where it should be spent. This might sound obvious stuff, but many fans would be surprised how little it happens across the game.
His calm temperament will help, too. Nuno’s public statements were provocative in the extreme but Edu never responded, either officially or otherwise. In fact, he stayed away from the training ground to try to give Nuno more space.
At Arsenal, Edu was known as a troubleshooter. Given the often volatile nature of life at Forest, and the new strong personality about to arrive in the dugout, he will need those skills regularly in the coming months.
What has Edu done this summer?
Part of Nuno’s frustration this summer was related to his transfer targets not arriving in time for pre-season.
The Forest boss wanted proven cover for both full backs, Ola Aina and Neco Williams, and had identified Adama Traore, a former pupil at Wolves, as his first choice to replace Anthony Elanga, who joined Newcastle for £55million.
It would be unfair to lay the blame entirely at Edu’s door, though. With Traore turning 30 next year, Forest wanted to focus on younger targets and Edu was part of that thinking. Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa were brought in to fill the wide areas, along with Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town.
Along with Douglas Luiz, Hutchinson is thought to have been recommended by Edu and it felt telling when Nuno decided to leave the 21-year-old – a club-record signing at £37.5million – out of Forest’s squad for the Europa League. It would prove one of the final acts of Nuno’s tenure.
Edu helped bring in Dan Ndoye, who scored on his Forest debut in the 3-1 win over Brentford
The record signing of Omari Hutchinson did not go down well with Nuno, who left the England Under 21s winger out of his Europa League squad just days before leaving the club
Edu’s connections to the Brazilian market also helped pave the way for deals for forward Igor Jesus and defender Jair Cunha, both from Botafogo.
Forest hope other talented young Brazilians will follow – although it was thought Nuno was unimpressed by defender Cuiabano, who rejoined Botafogo on loan three days after signing for Forest. At Arsenal, he was instrumental in bringing in compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille, before the centre back became one of the best at his position in Europe.
Yet in general, Edu has had a relatively light touch. Though he plans to influence all three clubs, Daily Mail Sport understands Edu has so far had relatively little involvement at Olympiacos, though he did have input into the deals to sign Brazilian defender Gustavo Mancha and Argentine midfielder Lorenzo Scipioni.
Edu also has a long-standing relationship with the agent Kia Joorabchian, who was in the directors’ box for the 3-0 defeat by West Ham and, along with Marinakis, was present at the draw for the Europa League and Europa Conference League in Monaco last month.
What are the potential pressure points?
At a recent pre-season fixture, a rival was amused to see Edu and Nuno’s agent Valdir Cardoso in the boardroom along with Forest’s chief football officer Ross Wilson and their recruitment advisor George Syrianos. It felt, they said, like seeing four sporting directors – except they were all involved with the same club.
Cardoso, a key ally of super-agent Jorge Mendes, will presumably drift into the background now. Wilson is admired by Newcastle and it is anticipated that he will take up a position at St James’ Park before the end of the year.
Wilson is trusted by Marinakis and was respected greatly by Nuno. On arriving at Forest in April 2023, he created a database of all England-eligible players aged 15 and upwards, which played a role in Forest’s £35million signing of Elliot Anderson a year ago. He would be missed if he does depart for Tyneside.
Syrianos, meanwhile, has seen his influence wax and wane over the years yet the technical director has excellent knowledge of the German, Dutch and Belgian competitions. The chances are he will continue to be called upon by the Marinakis family. Forest’s South American expert Pedro Ferreira has also played his part.
Chief football officer Ross Wilson is the subject of significant interest from Newcastle
Edu has a close relationship with Kia Joorabchian (left), the powerful super-agent
Forest’s impressive work in recruitment during the last two years has had three strands: live scouting, data analysis, and strong relations with agents. It would surely be unwise for Edu to tinker too much with this.
Similarly, Postecoglou will have a firm idea of the sort of players he wants and with a style very different from Nuno’s, he may want to make significant changes in January. His targets might not be the same as the club’s.
That is where Edu may, once again, need to rely on his talent for communication and negotiation within the club.
Will it work?
In recent times, Marinakis has got key appointments right. Steve Cooper led Forest from the bottom of the Championship to the Premier League and kept them there. Nuno delivered European football. Wilson turned an often chaotic setup into one worthy of a Premier League club.
In his own way, Edu has to match and exceed those achievements. Forest have made huge strides in recent years but taking the final step – joining the elite regularly – is ferociously difficult. In the current revenue-obsessed world of football, it might even prove beyond them.
At Arsenal, both Edu and Arteta reported to Venkatesham, who is now a few miles up Seven Sisters Road at Tottenham. Nuno would never agree to report to Edu.
Nuno did not take kindly to having to deal with Edu – will his replacement Ange Postecoglou be any different?
Forest have set expectations high after last year’s return to Europe – now Edu needs to ensure they stay there
Will Postecoglou be expected to do so, or will Forest adjust their structure a little so Postecoglou has a direct line to Marinakis, as Nuno did last season? It might be necessary to ensure harmony across the club.
In three to five years, Marinakis would like Forest to be qualifying regularly for Europe, dealing smartly in the market and challenging for trophies. This is what success will look like for Edu.
It would be a difficult task for even the best football strategists. We are about to learn whether Edu belongs among them. Nuno made up his own mind very quickly on that one. So, you suspect, will Marinakis – for better or worse.
Edu Gaspar, the floor is yours.
