Nottingham Forest end Edu’s 14-month spell as global head of football

Nottingham Forest have terminated Edu Gaspar’s contract as their global head of football, bringing an end to the former Arsenal midfielder’s turbulent 14-month tenure at the City Ground.

Edu joined Forest in July 2025 with a wide-ranging remit covering recruitment, squad planning, performance and player development across the club’s football structure. His responsibilities also extended to Greek club Olympiacos and Portuguese side Rio Ave, both owned by Evangelos Marinakis.

However, Edu had not attended a Forest match since February and had become increasingly detached from the club’s football operations, according to sources. He is also understood to have had no active involvement in either the transfer window or the appointment of new head coach Oliver Glasner.

His departure follows a difficult period at Forest, including a deterioration in his relationship with then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Nuno was dismissed in September, and Forest went on to employ five managers during Edu’s time at the club.

Forest narrowly avoided relegation last season, ending the campaign in 16th place, five points clear of the bottom three. They also reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Edu oversaw two transfer windows during his time at the club. James McAtee, Igor Jesus, Dan Ndoye and Jair Cunha were among the players regarded as notable successes from that period.

Other signings did not remain at Forest. Omari Hutchinson, Douglas Luiz, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Lorenzo Lucca are no longer with the club.

Chief football officer George Syrianos is expected to assume Edu’s responsibilities, while Forest are not currently planning to appoint a direct replacement.

Edu spent six years at Arsenal before moving to Forest. He initially returned to the London club as technical director in 2019 and became Arsenal’s first sporting director in 2022. He resigned from the role in November 2024 before joining Forest for the newly created position.

His exit comes shortly after Forest appointed former Olympiacos vice-president Theodore Giannikos as chief executive last week. Giannikos replaced Lina Souloukou, who had previously held the position.

Edu’s time at Forest was therefore marked by significant changes both on and off the pitch, with the club navigating managerial instability, a relegation battle and a European run while restructuring its football leadership.

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