Owner Evangelos Marinakis would be able to take Nottingham Forest “to another level” with promotion to the Premier League.
That’s the view of chief executive Dane Murphy as the Reds prepare to go toe-to-toe with Huddersfield Town at Wembley in the play-offs final. If Steve Cooper’s side can secure victory, it would see the club back in the top-flight for the first time since 1999.
That has been Marinakis’ ambition since he took over in 2017. And Murphy says the Greek’s experience of also being at the helm of Olympiacos would be invaluable should they topple the Terriers.
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Asked what sets Forest apart, he told American Soccer Now: “We're very lucky to have the owner that we have. I think in every challenge that he's embarked on in life, he's been successful. Shipping, media, environmental companies, and football.
“He also owns Olympiacos, and they're perennial winners of their league. They're in Champions League or the Europa League every year.
“And he is invested in a way that is smart and diligent. And he knows - and he believes - that once this club is able to get back to the Premier League, where it does belong, that he can take it to another level and build upon the work that's already been laid.
“But he has a much more systematic idea of how to do that than just throwing money at it every year to see if it works - because sometimes the bottom falls out and you end up losing the basis of what the club is. And you have to go down the leagues.
“His expectation is to win every year, which is completely fair. But he also does it in a way that's a little bit more scientific than others.
“That's part of the reason I came in - my background at Barnsley, in a financial restrictive environment, building out the club in a way that made it more sustainable long term, but also push the narrative on the sporting side and use data analytics as our first cut in recruitment, and to really adhere to a style of play from the club, meaning the club sort of has an ethos and philosophy, or an approach, in the way it wants to play. And you recruit your coaches and your players in a manner that will always adhere to that, so that year to year, you're not having to change the entire basis of the club.”
