NafisaNottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has unveiled ambitious plans for a “global project,” as he eyes further expansion of his football empire and potential collaboration with former Arsenal sporting director Edu. Marinakis, who also owns Olympiacos in Greece and Portuguese side Rio Ave, has set his sights on acquiring Brazilian club Vasco da Gama to broaden his reach into South America.Edu, who stepped down from his role at Arsenal last month, is expected to play a pivotal role in this venture. Speaking to Sky Sports, Marinakis expressed admiration for Edu’s track record and hinted at a significant partnership on the horizon.”Edu was a very good player and also a very good sporting and technical director.
I have a lot of respect for him,” said Marinakis. “The results we saw over the years at Arsenal were very good, and he has done an excellent job. What I can say is that I would like to cooperate with him on a much bigger project, a global project.”I’m optimistic that in case all this goes ahead, it will be another successful venture for both of us.
I’m very optimistic about it, but we need to see how this will be developed and finalised, if and when time allows.”Brazilian Market a PriorityMarinakis confirmed discussions are underway to expand his ownership portfolio, with a particular focus on the Brazilian market. He highlighted the strategic importance of Brazil as a talent pool for European football.”There are discussions, and what I can say is that whatever I want to get involved in needs to be something major,” he explained. “The tradition is very important, and it always makes more sense to me to manage or to own big clubs with millions of supporters.”For us, the Brazilian market is very important. We have some very good players that have played over the years at Olympiacos and now at Nottingham Forest. But in Portugal, Brazilians play as Europeans.
It’s a gate for Brazilian players into Europe, and for me, this is very important for the years to come.”Balancing Passion and FinancesDespite the commercial potential of his multi-club ownership model, Marinakis insists his approach is driven by passion rather than profit.”We have a multi-club ownership, and a lot see it as business. I don’t necessarily see it this way,” he said. “It’s very difficult to combine business with football, especially with big teams when you need to win trophies and participate in Europe.”It doesn’t necessarily mean you can make money – often, it’s the opposite.
We don’t have an unlimited budget. We need to find the balance between what we spend and what we can achieve. Of course, it’s not easy; this needs a lot of hard work, but we try our very best to be competitive at a cost that is affordable nowadays.”As Marinakis continues to develop his football empire, his vision for a globally integrated network of clubs could reshape Nottingham Forest’s future, opening new pathways for talent and success.
Nafisa
