Nottingham Forest are interested in the three-time title winning manager who stunned Arteta

If Steve Cooper is fired by Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis could turn to his former Olympiakos coach Pedro Martins.

It’s not every day that a manager receives a standing ovation from the travelling crowd after his team loses 5-0. But the reaction that greeted Steve Cooper after full-time at Fulham said volumes about the esteem in which he is cherished by an ardent public.

According to Sky Sports, Saturday’s game against Wolves might be the final nail in Cooper‘s Nottingham Forest coffin, with Craven Cottage collapsing as Marinakis selects the burial spot.

Steve Cooper could be fired from Nottingham Forest.

Julen Lopetegui, who took over a Wolves team in a similar predicament a year ago and guided them to safety, is an early frontrunner to take over. Lopetegui, the former Real Madrid, Spain, and Sevilla coach, recently turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia and is looking forward to a new start in England.

Another candidate is Oliver Glasner, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League triumph in 2022.

The same may be said for Pedro Martins, a coach well-known to the Nottingham Forest manager (talkSPORT). The 53-year-old Portuguese spent four seasons in charge of Olympiakos, an almost Sir Alex Ferguson-like stretch given Marinakis‘ trigger-happy tendencies, and won the Greek championship three times.

Martins is currently under contract with Al-Gharafa, but the opportunity to make his imprint in a major European league for the first time may entice him.

“I know (Marinakis) is the boss,” Martins, who oversaw Arsenal’s Europa League victory over Mikel Arteta, previously told The Telegraph. “He cares deeply about (Olympiakos).”

 

 

“He is the owner in Nottingham, but he spends almost all of his time with us, supporting us, which is important for our group.”

“When I arrived and our first meeting was held, it was all about leadership and rebuilding everything.” Of course, in Greece, time is of the essence, and a team like Olympiacos must win. But he realised (that I needed time to put my ideas into action).”

 

Pedro Martins is a possibility.

Marinakis‘ patience paid off when Martins won three consecutive domestic crowns. And a reunion may now be in the works as Cooper rides into war for the final time.