Nottingham Forest have denied that owner Evangelos Marinakis confronted Nuno Espirito Santo despite the heated exchange between them on Sunday.
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Forest owner & manager had heated exchangeManager encouraged to leave after 'scandalous' incidentClub deny confrontation in defence of MarinakisFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Marinakis appeared to be grilling at the Portuguese manager on the field following his side's 2-2 draw against relegated Leicester at the weekend – a result that leaves his side in danger of missing out on a place in next season's Champions League. The discussion prompted Gary Neville to suggest that Espirito Santo should leave the club, labelling the incident "scandalous".
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Sunday's game saw forward Taiwo Awoniyi crash into the goalpost alongside Foxes player Facundo Buonanotte, resulting in the Nigeria international undergoing surgery. Forest said the 27-year-old is "recovering well" in an update on Tuesday, adding the injury is a "powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game, and why a player’s health and well-being must always come first". The statement went on to address the reports surrounding the discussion between the owner and manager.
WHAT FOREST SAID
"To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn’t just a football club – it’s family – and he instils that message in all of us," the statement added.
"That is why he was so personally and emotionally invested in the situation that unfolded at the City Ground on Sunday. His reaction was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own. He didn’t just see it as an isolated incident, but as something that reflected the values and unity of the entire team.
"In moments like that he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence. In the final ten minutes of the game, when he saw our player clearly in discomfort, struggling through visible pain, it became increasingly difficult for him to stay on the sidelines. His deep frustration at seeing our player lying on the ground in severe pain – something no one with genuine care could ignore – triggered him to go onto the pitch. It was instinctive, human, and a reflection of just how much this team and its people mean to him. He would do the same again if such an unfortunate event were ever to reoccur.
"The truth of the matter is there was no confrontation, with Nuno or with others, either on the pitch or inside the stadium. There was only shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.
"In light of this, we urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context. Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one – least of all the injured player. We call on these influential voices to show the same respect for player welfare that they often demand from others. Let concern come before commentary."
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Forest are without a win in their last four matches and will be aiming to keep their Champions League hopes alive by beating West Ham on Sunday. A week later, they face Chelsea in their last game of the season.
