Nottingham Forest Adjust Ownership Structure to Meet UEFA Rules Ahead of Potential Champions League Entry

Nottingham Forest have made significant changes to their ownership structure as they prepare for a potential return to European competition for the first time in nearly three decades. In response to UEFA’s strict regulations on multi-club ownership, Forest’s principal owner Evangelos Marinakis has relinquished day-to-day control of the Premier League side, while still retaining ownership.

Marinakis, who also owns Greek league leaders Olympiakos and Portuguese club Rio Ave, has placed his Forest shares into a blind trust to avoid breaching UEFA rules that prohibit two clubs with shared ownership from competing in the same European tournament. Both Forest and Olympiakos are in contention to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

According to filings with Companies House, Marinakis has formally ceased to be a "person of significant control" at NF Football Investments Limited, the entity that owns Forest. The move comes ahead of UEFA’s April 30 deadline for ownership compliance and mirrors steps taken by other multi-club entities such as City Football Group, which restructured its influence over Girona to ensure both the Spanish side and Manchester City could compete in the current Champions League campaign.

While Marinakis has stepped back, Forest co-owner Sokratis Kominakis has rejoined the club’s board, and control has effectively shifted to trustees who manage the blind trust now overseeing Marinakis’ shares. This change, though administrative in nature, is vital in demonstrating compliance with UEFA’s competition integrity standards.

Forest, currently sixth in the Premier League and level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea, could climb to third if they win their game in hand against Brentford. Meanwhile, Olympiakos are 13 points clear at the top of the Greek Super League and look set to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League.

Sources close to the situation describe the reshuffle as a procedural necessity rather than a permanent exit by Marinakis, who remains deeply involved in the wider football operations of his multi-club group. As part of this broader structure, former Arsenal sporting director Edu is expected to assume a senior executive role overseeing the group’s international football projects, with an official announcement anticipated later this summer.

The shift comes at a pivotal time for Forest, who under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, are pushing for one of the club’s most significant achievements in the modern era. Should they qualify for the Champions League, it would mark their first appearance in the competition since the 1980-81 season and a remarkable turnaround following recent relegation battles.

With five games left to play, including key fixtures against Chelsea and West Ham, Forest’s European dream remains within reach—and now structurally, they’re prepared for it.

_{Featured Image Credit: Instagram @officialnffc}