Evangelos Marinakis once again made his presence felt at Rio Ave, with new reporting from A Bola offering a familiar glimpse into the Nottingham Forest owner’s “hands-on” style.
The episode unfolded ahead of last weekend’s league clash with Benfica and quickly became a talking point in Portugal.
According to the Portuguese newspaper, Marinakis promised the entire Rio Ave squad a financial bonus if they managed either a win or a draw against Benfica.
The incentive, which Marinakis has also used at Nottingham Forest, aimed to add extra motivation for a fixture seen internally as high impact, both competitively and symbolically.
It did not work out that way.
Rio Ave lost 2-0 at home. And maybe missing on the incentive quickly became a negative distraction once Benfica took total control of the match.
Even so, the episode highlights Marinakis’ approach. The Greek businessman remains closely involved and willing to use financial tools to push performance. That same mindset continues to shape Rio Ave’s wider decisions on and off the pitch – just as Nottingham Forest’s.
So taken together, the story fits a familiar pattern. Even when the outcome does not follow the script, Marinakis’ influence continues is rather more personal than many owners.
Back at Rio Ave, he’s taken control of André Luiz’s transfer situation, making a transfer to Sunderland difficult.
