Full Breakdown
Edu Gaspar’s Contract Terminated After Turbulent Year at Nottingham Forest
9/8/2026, 11:50:23 AM
Core Event: Contract Termination and Departure
Edu Gaspar, the former Arsenal midfielder who became Nottingham Forest’s global head of football in July 2025, saw his contract terminated in the week preceding the latest reporting. The club’s website no longer lists him in the “Who’s Who” section, confirming his exit. Sources indicate he had not attended a Forest match since February and was instructed to stay away from the stadium and training ground earlier in the year.
Background & Context
Forest appointed Gaspar to oversee football operations across owner Evangelos Marinakis’s portfolio, which includes Greek side Olympiacos and Portuguese club Rio Ave. The hire was hailed as a coup because Gaspar had served as Arsenal’s first sporting director (2022) and helped assemble the squad that won the Premier League title in 2022. His remit at Forest covered recruitment, performance, squad strategy and player development.
Timeline
- July 2025 – Gaspar joins Nottingham Forest as global head of football.
- September 2025 – Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is dismissed after a reported falling-out with Gaspar.
- February 2026 – Gaspar is absent from Forest’s Premier League matches for the first time.
- Early March 2026 – Reports emerge that Gaspar has been asked to stay away from the club’s facilities.
- Late April 2026 – The club terminates Gaspar’s contract; his name is removed from the official staff directory.
Data & Statistics
- Tenure: 14 months (just over a year).
- Managerial turnover: five different managers (Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche, Vitor Pereira, Oliver Glasner) during his spell.
- League finish 2025/26: 16th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone.
- Transfer activity: Four signings linked to Gaspar (£37.5 million for Omari Hutchinson, loans for Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko, and James McAtee) – only three remain at the club.
Official Statements & Responses
Nottingham Forest announced the appointment of former FIFA employee Theodore Giannikos as chief executive, replacing Lina Souloukou.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Theodore will lead the club’s strategic direction and oversee the delivery of its long-term ambitions, both on and off the pitch,” — Nottingham Forest, appointed chief executive
