Nottingham Forest are back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence. That means not only first-class football, but also a lot of money – and the Bundesliga has already felt it.
80,000 spectators, Wembley Stadium and a game that can change everything. It’s a dream come true for every player in the world to be able to stand on the pitch in such a scenario.
At first glance, it seems grotesque that this mild summer day on May 29, 2022 was not about a championship title or a cup, but “only” about promotion to England’s first division.
But the proportions of this playoff final were enormous. Nottingham Forest – of all things – won 1-0 against Huddersfield Town through an own goal by the unfortunate Levi Colwill and bagged a bonus that the Bundesliga could not even imagine in their wildest dreams.
The only club in the world that has won the European premier class more often than the national championship title – Nottingham became champion in 1978 and won the European Cup twice in the following two years – collected around 200 million euros from the TV, which is so horrendous in England -Funds.
Nottingham Forest collects more than Bayern
For comparison: Arminia Bielefeld got loud for his rise in the 2020/21 season from the entire TV marketing table football 34.31 million euros. When the international TV marketing was distributed, it was just 2.38 million euros. So almost six times less than Nottingham this year. But that’s not all! Even Bayern Munich can’t match that amount. As the reigning Champions League winner, the series champion pocketed a total of 136.5 million euros – after all, only 63.5 million euros less.
The traditional English club celebrated its return to the Premier League accordingly in a luxurious manner.
On the podium, the team splashed champagne in the best Formula 1 Marnier towards the cameras in such a way that only a mixture of foam and the red and white Nottingham jerseys could be seen on the screens. Since the time has come to spend the 200 million euros again, the Tricky Trees have been even more luxurious.
Nottingham uses three times in the Bundesliga
Including one loan deal (Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson), eight players have already signed for Nottingham in the not-so-long-open summer transfer window. Five of them came for a high single-digit or double-digit million sum, including three players from the Bundesliga: Union Berlin’s top striker Taiwo Awoniyi (20.5 million), Mainz 05 defense chief Moussa Niakhate (10 million) and Bayern’s left-back Backup Omar Richards (8.5m).
There are also rumors about Orel Mangala from VfB Stuttgart and Aster Vranckx from VfL Wolfsburg. A noticeable trend, but by no means surprising at second glance. The renaissance of the club is due not only to successful coach Steve Cooper but also to a German: George Syrianos. The former chief analyst at Stuttgart and close to sporting director Sven Mislintat has been a squad planner in the East Midlands since last season. So the way to the Bundesliga is not far.
Before joining the Swabians, the native of Starnberg was an analyst at Columbia University in New York and is therefore considered an expert on data and figures. “I have to be honest, years ago it was a revolution, it was a breakthrough. Today it’s a normal approach that every professional club uses,” Syrianos told 2021 transfermarkt.dewho does not want to be reduced to just his large data network: “Accordingly, in my opinion, this hype should slowly decrease.”
Bundesliga as a shopping paradise: “Only Nottingham plays like this”
The 32-year-old’s transfers had an immediate impact, helping Nottingham earn a long-awaited return to the top flight. The club was still fighting relegation during the first half of the season and brought in a new coach in September with Cooper. “Nottingham is a team that, due to its history and its fan base, has to play at the top every year. But sometimes there are worlds between the desire and reality,” said Syrianos at the time, still ignorant of the subsequent triumph.
The third-best offensive in the championship also caused a sensation in the FA Cup and only failed in the quarter-finals at eventual winners Liverpool FC. Previously, Arsenal FC and holders Leicester City were eliminated.
However, Syrianos does not have a completely free hand. “We have set up a transfer committee where decisions are made together. The aim is to build a young team that will exist together over a long period of time, with which the fans in particular can identify. The history, the environment and above all the Fans are elements that have to be included,” he said, emphasizing: “Even if it sounds utopian, we want to make it so that even with a taped logo and any colored jersey, the fans or spectators say that down there , this is Nottingham Forest, only Nottingham plays like that.”
For the mission of staying up, Nottingham not only has the necessary change, but also a sophisticated squad that has improved significantly in quality – and the Bundesliga may lose more top players to the supposedly weaker club from England. Only Nottingham plays that way.
