Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis releases statement after raging at Nuno Espirito Santo in on-pitch meltdown

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has rejoiced in the team securing their place in Europe after berating manager Nuno Espirito on the pitch. Forest’s Champions League hopes suffered a blow as they drew 2-2 with rivals Leicester at the City Ground on Sunday. The pair exchanged heated words immediately after full timeSky Sports Marinakis was fuming in an awkward moment at the City GroundSky Sports Having been in the top three for much of the season, they have slipped down to seventh after recent results. Despite the disappointing result, Forest are now guaranteed European football next season, something the club last experienced 30 years ago. Nuno’s side looked certainties to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition at the start of April until a run of just one win in the last six which has left them in the last-chance saloon. Chris Wood’s 20th goal of the season put them on course to beat their East Midlands rivals, after Morgan Gibbs-White earlier cancelled out Conor Coady’s opener. But Facundo Buonanotte had the final say as Forest could only manage a draw, which saw owner Marinakis take umbrage with his manager in unsavoury scenes at the full-time whistle. The Greek businessman, who also owns Olympiakos, animatedly threw his hands up in the air during a heated conversation with the Portuguese. But hours after the incident, Marinakis released a statement celebrating Forest securing European football for the first time in three decades, saying his outburst was out of frustration over the decision not to take off an injured Taiwo Awoniyi in the closing stages of the game. Marinakis’ statement on Instagram read: “Today is a day for celebration because after 30 years Nottingham Forest is guaranteed to be competing on the European stage once again, a promise I made to our supporters when we achieved promotion! “With two more games to go in the Premier League, we must keep believing and keep dreaming, right to the final kick of the game. “We are extremely proud of and close to Nuno and the team, and we must celebrate the historic achievements of this season. It’s not the first time Marinakis has angrily made his way onto the pitch after a Forest gameAFP “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.” Gary Neville was dismayed by the incident and said: “Scandalous from that Forest owner. “Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.” Speaking after the game, Nuno said: “It all comes from the situation that unfortunately in the last ten minutes we had one man less with a situation of him not being able to to give us a hand to the team to help the team because he was in too much pain. “That came from a bad communication between departments, coaching staff and medical department that they had the info of one thing. It proceeds and we make the sub. Neville has told Nuno to quit ForestAFP “Unfortunately then he had another stoppage time and after that I think 30,000 people that were in the stadium were really really upset, rightly so.” “I am not going to comment too much,” Nuno said when asked about Neville’s comment. “I have huge respect for Gary Neville, he is the coach who replaced me when I was sacked at Valencia so he was a coach himself. “He knows what it is like to be on the touchline. All the rest, please allow me… I do not want to proceed about the future. “We are too disappointed today. I have a dressing room with young boys who, through this season, made a big effort. We are tired. We are battered. You can see the end of the game… this is what I will take home today. “How can I find better solutions for the players? How can I help them?” MatchDay Live Marinakis recently relinquished day-to-day control over Forest to avoid breaking UEFA rules. UEFA does not allow two clubs under the same ownership to compete in the same competition. Both Olympiakos and Forest could qualify for the Champions League, although the latter now looks increasingly unlikely. It is also not the first time a fuming Marinakis has entered the pitch during his Forest tenure. Following a defeat to Liverpool in 2024, the owner headed onto the pitch to air his views to the match officials. Champions League qualification is no longer in the hands of Forest, who are a point off fifth-placed Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League spot. Forest’s next outing sees them travel to West Ham on Sunday before they finish the campaign with what could be a crunch showdown with Chelsea at the City Ground on May 25.

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Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis releases statement after raging at Nuno Espirito Santo in on-pitch meltdown

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has rejoiced in the team securing their place in Europe after berating manager Nuno Espirito on the pitch.

Forest’s Champions League hopes suffered a blow as they drew 2-2 with rivals Leicester at the City Ground on Sunday.

The pair exchanged heated words immediately after full time

Marinakis was fuming in an awkward moment at the City Ground

Having been in the top three for much of the season, they have slipped down to seventh after recent results.

Despite the disappointing result, Forest are now guaranteed European football next season, something the club last experienced 30 years ago.

Nuno’s side looked certainties to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition at the start of April until a run of just one win in the last six which has left them in the last-chance saloon.

Chris Wood’s 20th goal of the season put them on course to beat their East Midlands rivals, after Morgan Gibbs-White earlier cancelled out Conor Coady’s opener.

But Facundo Buonanotte had the final say as Forest could only manage a draw, which saw owner Marinakis take umbrage with his manager in unsavoury scenes at the full-time whistle.

The Greek businessman, who also owns Olympiakos, animatedly threw his hands up in the air during a heated conversation with the Portuguese.

But hours after the incident, Marinakis released a statement celebrating Forest securing European football for the first time in three decades, saying his outburst was out of frustration over the decision not to take off an injured Taiwo Awoniyi in the closing stages of the game.

Marinakis’ statement on Instagram read: “Today is a day for celebration because after 30 years Nottingham Forest is guaranteed to be competing on the European stage once again, a promise I made to our supporters when we achieved promotion!

“With two more games to go in the Premier League, we must keep believing and keep dreaming, right to the final kick of the game.

“We are extremely proud of and close to Nuno and the team, and we must celebrate the historic achievements of this season.

It’s not the first time Marinakis has angrily made his way onto the pitch after a Forest game

“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.”

Gary Neville was dismayed by the incident and said: “Scandalous from that Forest owner.

“Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.”

Speaking after the game, Nuno said: “It all comes from the situation that unfortunately in the last ten minutes we had one man less with a situation of him not being able to to give us a hand to the team to help the team because he was in too much pain.

“That came from a bad communication between departments, coaching staff and medical department that they had the info of one thing. It proceeds and we make the sub.

“Unfortunately then he had another stoppage time and after that I think 30,000 people that were in the stadium were really really upset, rightly so.”

“I am not going to comment too much,” Nuno said when asked about Neville’s comment.

“I have huge respect for Gary Neville, he is the coach who replaced me when I was sacked at Valencia so he was a coach himself.

“He knows what it is like to be on the touchline. All the rest, please allow me… I do not want to proceed about the future.

“We are too disappointed today. I have a dressing room with young boys who, through this season, made a big effort. We are tired. We are battered. You can see the end of the game… this is what I will take home today.

“How can I find better solutions for the players? How can I help them?”

Marinakis recently relinquished day-to-day control over Forest to avoid breaking UEFA rules.

UEFA does not allow two clubs under the same ownership to compete in the same competition.

Both Olympiakos and Forest could qualify for the Champions League, although the latter now looks increasingly unlikely.

It is also not the first time a fuming Marinakis has entered the pitch during his Forest tenure.

Following a defeat to Liverpool in 2024, the owner headed onto the pitch to air his views to the match officials.

Champions League qualification is no longer in the hands of Forest, who are a point off fifth-placed Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League spot.

Forest’s next outing sees them travel to West Ham on Sunday before they finish the campaign with what could be a crunch showdown with Chelsea at the City Ground on May 25.