Controversy in the Premier League:
Owner Confronts Manager on the Pitch!
Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, entered the pitch after the final whistle of the match against Leicester City and had a heated exchange with manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
According to “Varzesh3,” the match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Forest conceding an equalizer in the final 10 minutes—a result that diminished their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. This led Marinakis to storm onto the pitch after the game.
Initially, it seemed Marinakis would ignore Nuno, but he suddenly turned back and confronted the manager after Nuno finished speaking with Oliver Skipp, a player who had previously worked under him at Tottenham. Marinakis spoke aggressively, gesturing angrily, while Nuno responded with indifference, shrugging as if to say, “What can I do?” Marinakis then threw his hands up and walked away.
Gary Neville, a pundit for Sky Sports and former Manchester United player, strongly criticized Marinakis’ behavior. He tweeted: “The Nottingham Forest owner’s behavior is a complete disgrace.”
Neville later added on Sky Sports: “I feel compelled to say that what the Forest owner did on the pitch at the King Power Stadium was an absolute disgrace. If I were Nuno, I would have reacted much more harshly. He has taken the team to European competitions and could qualify for the Champions League. For the owner to behave like this in front of the fans is a complete joke.”
Nuno explained in the post-match press conference that Marinakis’ anger stemmed from the situation involving Taiwo Awoniyi, a player who had collided with the goalpost but insisted he could continue playing. Nuno substituted him for Jota Silva, but it later became clear that Awoniyi was not fit, which angered the owner.
Nuno said: “Football is full of emotions. Today, over 30,000 fans were in the stadium, each with their own feelings. It was a tough moment. After the Awoniyi incident, we were practically playing with 10 men—all because of a misunderstanding. Controlling emotions in such situations is difficult, especially with these high expectations.”
When asked if Marinakis’ reaction was due to the Awoniyi incident, Nuno replied: “Yes, it was. It was a misunderstanding. I’m sorry, I can’t elaborate further. It’s all about emotions; we shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. These things happen and will happen again. Given the emotions today, it’s understandable.”
