Marinakis and Nuno to hold clear-the-air talks

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis will hold talks with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and has dismissed any rift between the pair.

Nuno admitted last week his relationship with the owner had changed, with his position at the City Ground uncertain.

Last Friday, the 51-year-old said "where there's smoke, there's fire" amid rumours about his job.

Before the start of the season he also criticised Forest's transfer business in a surprise swipe at the club.

The pair have spoken on the phone this week but are due to sit down after Sunday's Premier League visit of West Ham.

Marinakis has been in Monaco for the Europa League draw, with Forest hosting Nuno's former club Porto and Malmo - in a repeat of their 1979 European Cup triumph - but is flying to London on Friday.

When asked whether Nuno is still the man to lead Forest, Marinakis told TNT: "Yes, he has been successful and we have done things we have enjoyed, now we can afford to do things that we enjoy."

He added: "Everything is solid. We all want Nottingham to succeed. We are here in the good days but we are even closer in the difficult days, so personally I don't see a problem.

"We are all together, united, and we'll make some corrective actions and everything will be smooth and ready to go.

"We have a solid relationship. Of course, sometimes we can be nervous, say one thing, say another, but what counts at the end of the day is the real relationship between me and Nuno, between Nuno and the players and between the players and ourselves."

Following Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Crystal Palace, former Wolves boss Nuno said he would not walk away.

"It is absurd. Never," he added, having earlier said it was "nonsense" that he was trying to engineer his own exit.

Ex-Tottenham manager Nuno, who has been in charge at the City Ground since December 2023, is confident he can fix any issues and believes he will still be in position after the international break.

"Yes, I think so. I don't know how to answer that but I think so," he said, having guided Forest to seventh in the Premier League last season to qualify for Europe for the first time in 30 years.

"I'm totally relaxed in that sense. We need to have a talk about the future of the club and what is the commitment to the club. We want the same thing, we want the best for Forest, that's for sure.

"We have to talk. These kinds of things should be done in the right moment, and the right moment is after the game. Now we are focused on West Ham, then we have the international break and I think that is the right moment."