Nottingham Forest’s disappointing draw with Leicester City resulted in manager Nuno Espirito Santo being confronted by owner Evangelos Marinakis on the pitch on Sunday, and then down the tunnel
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was reportedly seen shouting at Nuno Espirito Santo down the tunnel away from TV cameras shortly after publicly berating him on the pitch. After Forest’s disappointing 2-2 draw with already relegated local rivals Leicester City, Marinakis was seen confronting his manager, in front of fans and the cameras.
The Greek businessman released a statement, claiming his furious confrontation was a moment of “passion” with Forest’s hopes of competing in the Champions League next season seemingly dwindling.
He also claimed he was furious with the club’s medical staff, after Taiwo Awoniyi was allowed to continue, despite suffering a painful abdomen injury caused by a collision with the post – which has since resulted in the player undergoing emergency surgery. Further reports have now claimed that Marinakis was seen shouting at Santo again in the tunnel.
According to The Sun, eye-witnesses saw Marinakis unleash fury on Santo before turning his attention to Forest’s medical staff, who cleared him to play. It’s also been reported that he was also furious with Awoniyi himself, who tried to continue playing despite being in obvious discomfort.
Those who witnessed the incident within the tunnel believe it was far worse than what the cameras and fans at the ground saw in the middle of the football pitch.
It’s is not unusual to see Marinakis in the tunnel, as he regularly goes down there after football matches, particularly after a victory.
Not long after the game, Marinakis released a statement through the club’s media channels, explaining the confrontation on the pitch.
While referencing Awoniyi’s injury, he said: “Everybody – coaching staff, players, supporters and including myself – we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgement on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game.
“This is natural, this is a demonstration of the passion we feel for our club. Let’s all be grateful, passionate and keep on dreaming!”
Santo also did his best to play down the incident in his post-match interview. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager said: “It was disappointing for everyone.
“It was too painful for Taiwo to push and help the team and it was a misunderstanding between the coaching staff and the medical department. It’s because of the owner and his passion that we are growing as a club.
“He pushes us and wants us to be better. I have been in football so many years. As a club, we owe a lot to the Marinakis family.”
Awoniyi required urgent surgery on Monday night as a result of the abdominal injuries caused by the collision with the goal post.