Nottingham Forest have been on a training camp in Greece for the past week ahead of their return to competitive action.
Steve Cooper’s squad have used the facilities of fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned club Olympiacos as they made the most of valuable time on the training pitch. They have also played two friendlies while out there, taking on Atromitos behind closed doors, then facing Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Saturday night.
NottinghamshireLive spent part of the week on tour with the Reds as they continued their preparations for the season’s resumption. Here’s our notebook of the latest goings-on.
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Brennan’s back
Of the players who have been representing their countries at the World Cup, only Brennan Johnson rejoined his Forest teammates on their trip. He played an hour of the 1-0 defeat at the Karaiskakis.
Fellow Wales internationals Neco Williams and Wayne Hennessey were not part of the group in Greece and have been on different individual programmes. The Reds have taken particular care around Williams, given the head injury he suffered against England and the death of his grandfather before his country’s opening group game.
In preparation for the season’s resumption, Cooper is planning to have individual conversations with all the players who have been on duty at the tournament - as he will with the rest of the squad - to assess their situations. Dealing with the psychology of how the competition panned out for players will be as important as the physical aspect. The Reds boss had also kept in touch with players while they were in Qatar, sending messages of encouragement and congratulations.
Bonding time
The trip to Greece was not only helpful in terms of work on the pitch, it also allowed a group which is still getting to know each other to spend valuable down-time together. The players have been doing that back in Nottingham, with team meals and visits to coffee shops, but the week away allowed them to spend an extended period in close proximity.
They ate together and had collective viewings of World Cup games, while a pool table was among the leisure facilities on offer at their hotel. And players took advantage of their historical surroundings by going to visit the Acropolis in Athens during some time off.
Cooper’s ability to foster a spirit and a unity was instrumental in last term’s success. Trips such as this will go a long way to ensuring it comes to the fore again for the fight ahead.
Charity support
Marinakis and Olympiacos do a great deal of charity work in the local community of Pireas. And for the friendly with Forest, the two clubs joined forces to support Greek charity ELPIDA, which works with children with cancer.
All proceeds from the match went to the charity, while, after arriving at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, both sets of players and staff donated gifts for youngsters who the charity helps. Fans were also able to donate toys before the game. The two Marinakis-owned clubs wanted the friendly to “be an unforgettable one for these children thanks to our offering”.
Widespread influence
Chat to the locals, and you soon become aware of just how big Olympiacos are - and, by extension, that counts for Forest, too. Plenty of fans of the Greek club also keep an eye on the Reds, because of the shared ownership. The lure of the Premier League this season has only added to that.
Marinakis is a well-known and prominent figure in the area. He is a man with many interests - which extend far beyond football and shipping - who has done much for Pireas.
In the port area, for example, there is a monument to “remember the genocide of the Greeks of Pontus”, which the businessman funded. A plaque nearby explains the significance behind the memorial, as well as outlining Marinakis’ donation.
Meanwhile, the facilities which are available to Olympiacos under his stewardship show what is possible. Both the training ground and the stadium are impressive.
Forest have already made some improvements to their training ground, including overhauling one of the meeting rooms and undertaking work on the pitches. And with the hope the City Ground redevelopment project will start at the end of the season, there is a continued show of commitment from the owner between the two clubs.
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