Evangelos Marinakis could turn to his former Olympiakos coach Pedro Martins if Steve Cooper is sacked by Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest.
It is not every day a manager is given a standing ovation by the travelling support after witnessing his team go down 5-0. But the reaction that greeted Steve Cooper after full-time at Fulham said more than words ever could about the regard in which he is held amongst an adoring fanbase.
According to Sky Sports, Saturday’s trip to Wolves could be the final nail in Cooper’s Nottingham Forest coffin, that Craven Cottage collapse digging the grave as Marinakis chooses the burial plot.
Steve Cooper facing Nottingham Forest sack
Julen Lopetegui, who took over a Wolves side in a similarly desperate situation 12 months ago and lead them to safety, is an early contender to take over. Lopetegui, the former Real Madrid, Spain and Sevilla coach, recently turned down a head-spinning offer from Saudi Arabia and remains keen on a fresh start in England.
Oliver Glasner, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022, is another candidate.
Ditto Pedro Martins, a coach well-known to the Nottingham Forest chief (talkSPORT). The 53-year-old Portuguese spent four season in charge of Olympiakos – an almost Sir Alex Ferguson-style stretch considering Marinakis’ trigger-happy tendencies – and won the Greek title on three occasions.
Martins is currently under contract at Al-Gharafa but could be tempted by the chance to make his mark in a major European league for the first time.
“I know (Marinakis) is the boss,” Martins, who mastermined a Europa League triumph over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, once told The Telegraph. “He is very passionate about (Olympiakos).
“In Nottingham, he is the owner but almost all of his time is with us, supporting us, which is important for our group.
“When I came and we had our first meeting, it was about leadership and rebuilding everything. Of course in Greece, you don’t have time and a team like Olympiacos you have to win. But he understood (that I needed time to implement my ideas).”
Pedro Martins an option
Marinakis’ patience paid off as Martins lifted three successive domestic titles. And a reunion could now be on the cards as Cooper rides into battle for what might be the final time.
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