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‘To win the Greek league?’ – Gary Neville blasts Edu decision as Nottingham Forest role questioned
Pundit Gary Neville has expressed his surprise at Edu’s decision to leave his role as Arsenal’s sporting director to join Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ network of clubs.
On Monday, it was confirmed that Edu had stepped down from his position at the Emirates. While the specifics of his new role haven’t been officially confirmed, it’s widely expected that he will oversee Marinakis’ group of clubs, which includes Forest, Olympiacos, and Rio Ave. Reports from Brazil also suggest that Edu could be involved in a potential takeover of Vasco da Gama, further expanding Marinakis’ portfolio.
However, Neville finds it difficult to understand why Edu would leave a prominent role at Arsenal, where the club is a title contender, to take on a position involving smaller clubs. On the Stick to Football podcast, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright called Edu’s departure a “massive surprise” and “disappointing,” though he acknowledged the challenge of managing multiple clubs.
Neville, however, wasn’t convinced. He said: “No, I don’t buy that. If the sporting director of my club, and Arsenal are a massive club, left for Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos, and Rio Ave, I would be gutted. What’s the opportunity there? To win the Greek league?”
While Neville recognized that Forest, Olympiacos, and Rio Ave are significant clubs with strong traditions, he struggled to understand why Edu would leave Arsenal—who are close to securing a Premier League title after several years of improvement—to join Marinakis’ operation. He speculated that the move might be financially motivated, saying, “I’m finding it immensely strange. Other than the fact he may have been offered a lot more money.”
Forest legend Roy Keane, however, wasn’t as shocked by the decision, acknowledging that while the clubs involved may not be bigger than Arsenal, the move represented a “different challenge.”
Edu first joined Arsenal in 2019, and during his tenure, the club became genuine title contenders, with a number of successful signings—especially from South America—helping to shape the team into what it is today.
Former West Ham manager David Moyes also weighed in, stating that Edu played a key role in Arsenal’s resurgence, particularly with his knowledge of South American talent. On Edu’s decision to leave, Moyes agreed with Neville’s assessment, adding, “I thought it was strange that he would leave Arsenal, especially with the club so close to winning the Premier League in recent years. It seemed like he had a great relationship with Mikel Arteta as well.”
