Edu has left Nottingham Forest, concluding a summer of major changes in the club's hierarchy that has seen a new chief executive and a fifth head coach appointed in just over a year. The club now hopes a period of stability can begin under the new leadership of CEO Theodore Giannikos and head coach Oliver Glasner.
Giannikos, who started work at the start of this month, spent the last decade at FIFA in various roles and previously held a nine-year tenure as a vice president at Olympiacos. He has also served on UEFA committees and as a Court of Arbitration for Sport arbitrator. In his first statement, Giannikos said his role is to "lead the club’s strategic direction and oversee the delivery of its long-term ambitions."
A year of constant change
Edu's exit follows the departure of chief executive Lina Souloukou in June and chief football officer Ross Wilson last October, who took a similar role at Newcastle United. Since Edu's appointment last summer, Forest have cycled through five head coaches: Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, Vitor Pereira, and now Glasner, who arrived in July.
Promotions from within have filled key vacancies. George Syrianos, previously the global technical director for Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave, was promoted to chief football officer. He had earlier served as Forest's head of recruitment. Pedro Ferreira, formerly of Benfica, now occupies the technical director role.
Academy and pathway focus
Popular former Forest midfielder Andy Reid has taken on the role of head of football development. Reid, an academy product in the late 1990s, said he is focused on "helping the next generation of players walk the same path as he did." Owen Coyle oversees loaned players as player pathways manager, with individuals like Tyler Bindon at Charlton and Zach Abbott at Southampton under his watch. Dylan Malicheff was appointed head coach of the Forest B team over the summer.
Changes have also occurred in the women's setup and finance department. Tom Mallinson was promoted from under-18 head coach to women's head coach in July. Tom Bonser left as chief financial officer for Fulham in January, with Tom Rawcliffe, formerly of AFC Wimbledon and Bristol City, now in the role.
On-pitch context for new era
The reshaped off-field structure arrives as the first team sits 12th in the Premier League with five points from four games. Their recent form reads WDDL, with a morale-boosting 2-1 away win at Aston Villa last time out. Goals from Liam Delap and Igor Jesus secured the three points at Villa Park. The club's goal difference is even, with four scored and four conceded, leaving them seven points behind leaders Arsenal.
Forest finished seventh last May, their highest placing since promotion in 2022, and the new hierarchy will aim to build on that progress. The immediate focus turns to the next fixture, a home match against bottom-placed Coventry City on 19 September. The squad, currently without the sidelined Nicolò Savona, is detailed on the squad list.
With the executive churn now seemingly over, the task for Giannikos, Syrianos and Glasner is to provide the consistent direction needed to climb the standings. The club's next chapter begins against Coventry at the City Ground.
