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Edu lands surprise new job just days after brutal Nottingham Forest exit
Sep 15 2026 15:20 · By Daniel Marsh,Senior Sports Reporter · 11 Reads
Edu Gaspar has been appointed to the board of directors at Levski Sofia just one week after officially departing Nottingham Forest.
The Brazilian had held the role of head of global football at the Premier League club for around 14 months. He had previously built up an impressive body of work at Arsenal, the same club he enjoyed a successful stint with during his playing career, after initially joining the Gunners as a technical director back in 2019.
Edu was promoted to the role of sporting director in 2022 and his decision to leave Arsenal in November 2024 was an unexpected one given the progress made under the 48-year-old and Mikel Arteta.
But his stint at Forest was less fruitful and he had been absent from games since February before officially leaving the club last week.
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His exact role at the Bulgarian champions has not been specified but Edu and the four other newly appointed directors will elect a chairman and an executive director when they meet next.
“Throughout my life I have been used to making good decisions,” Edu said in a statement.
“At the beginning I started to get to know the people in this project. It all started with getting to know who was involved in this project. I don't know if you knew, but I spent a long time here to understand you, the club, the press. Then I started to work with you. Then they invited me to be a member of the board.
“When they invited me, I said to myself: 'Why not?' I am sure that I can contribute to this project. For me, it is a new country, new friends, a new owner. That makes me excited. That is why I am here. I am very excited to be part of this project.”
It was reported last week that Edu's role at The City Ground was 'not what he envisaged' when agreeing to the job.
Forest have collected five points from their opening four games of the season and return to action this weekend when they host Coventry City.