TA: After only 8 months, Edu will resign from Global Football Director at Forest

TA pointed out that Edu will resign as Nottingham Forest's global football director, only 8 months after he arrived at the City Ground.

He took up the position in July 2025, having previously served as Arsenal's sporting director, leaving the Emirates in November 2024 after five years.

Forest's performance this season has been chaotic, and the club has welcomed its fourth official coach of the season, so Edu's position has been closely scrutinized in recent weeks.

Edu works for Marinakis' football empire, which also includes Greek club Olympiacos and Portuguese club Rio Ave. He has not attended several Forest games recently, including the 2-2 draw with Man City.

Last August, the 47-year-old executive had disagreed with Forest's then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo, and the rift between the two became the trigger for the Portuguese coach to leave the club.

Nuno, who signed a new contract on June 20, was supposed to work under Edu, the new global football director of the Marinakis football empire (Forest, Greek Olympiacos and Portuguese Rio Ave), but the former Wolves boss quickly felt uncomfortable with the new management structure.

Nuno left on September 8, Ange Postecoglou took over the next day, and was sacked on October 18 after only 39 days in charge. On October 21, Sean Dyche was confirmed as the club's third coach of the season.

Dyche's early tenure saw a brief resurgence in form, but with the club just one place above the relegation zone, Forest changed coaches again in February, with Vitor Pereira becoming the fourth coach of the season.

Although Edu had little influence in the appointment of two coaches this season, the transfer operations he led made him the focus. He also played a role in promoting the loan signings of Oleksandr Zinchenko (from Arsenal) and Douglas Luiz (from Juventus).

Forest, currently in the Europa League last 16, are 17th in the Premier League, only ahead of West Ham United and the relegation zone on goal difference.

The first domino to fall in this already turbulent season was Nuno Espirito Santo's departure in September.

The Portuguese coach had expressed his dissatisfaction as early as July, frustrated by the speed of the club's signings - he only received a few new signings during the pre-season training camp in Portugal, which Nuno considered a key part of the preparation.

Subsequently, his conflict with the club's management became public, and Edu was at the heart of the conflict. In the end, the coach who led Forest back to European competition for the first time in 30 years left in dismay.

Since then, Postecoglou and Sean Dyche have left one after another, and the feeling of uncertainty triggered in the summer has increasingly manifested itself on the field.

Edu led a 200 million pound signing plan, and Forest eventually signed 13 new players, but most of them failed to perform.

Two players signed under Edu's influence - Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz - had their loan contracts terminated early; Arnaud Kalimuendo was loaned to Frankfurt after failing to impress Dyche; Lorenzo Lucca, who was loaned from Napoli in January, was also among the players who failed to gain a foothold.

Igor Jesus has played an important role during Chris Wood's absence due to injury. His Brazilian compatriot Jair Cunha has consistently shown potential in defense. And Hutchinson, who was signed from Ipswich for a club-record £35 million, looks like a very promising youngster.

But the initial appointment of Edu was a move by Forest to show their ambition, and was seen as a major turning point in the club's development. Forest successfully brought in this figure who enjoys a high reputation in European football (especially at Arsenal).

His arrival should have marked that, as the club returned to European competition for the first time in 30 years, Forest was ready to move to a higher level.

However, the danger now is that this season may end up being "relegated" in another way - the team falling into the Premier League relegation zone.