Edu Officially Departs Nottingham Forest Six Months After Being Told to Stay Away

Edu Gaspar has officially left his position at Nottingham Forest, six months after he was told to stay away from the club entirely.

The Brazilian has not attended a match since February, and reports emerged the following month that Forest had instructed him not to visit either the training ground or the stadium. His exit had been widely expected since then, and his contract has now been formally terminated.

Edu, 48, was appointed by Forest in July 2025 after leaving Arsenal, where he had played a central role in helping rebuild the club under manager Mikel Arteta. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis brought him in to oversee all football-related operations at the club, including recruitment, performance, squad strategy and player development. His remit also extended beyond Forest to Marinakis' other clubs, Olympiacos in Greece and Rio Ave in Portugal.

Behind the scenes, Edu was understood to have clashed with then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo just weeks after arriving at the City Ground, with the breakdown in their working relationship seen as a significant factor in Nuno's eventual departure. Nuno had publicly criticized Forest's approach to transfers on the eve of last season, and struggled to operate under the club's new structure following Edu's appointment. He was sacked just three games into last season, despite having guided Forest into the Europa League only months before.

Nuno's exit marked the start of a chaotic campaign for Forest, who went through four different managers last season, with Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vitor Pereira also having brief spells in charge.

Forest are not expected to replace Edu directly. Instead, chief football officer George Syrianos has taken over his responsibilities at the club.

Edu previously spent five-and-a-half years as Arsenal's sporting director before making the surprise decision to leave in November 2024. A former member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" squad as a player, he officially departed the club in April 2025 following a period of gardening leave.

Forest, now under the management of Oliver Glasner, have made a slow start to the new season, picking up two draws and a defeat from their opening three Premier League matches.