Nottingham Forest release bizarre statement on Marinakis confrontation with Nuno | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have slammed “baseless and ill-informed outrage” over the on-pitch confrontation between the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, and manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Greek shipping magnate entered the pitch to remonstrate with the head coach following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City, which dealt a major blow to their hopes of qualifying for the next season’s Uefa Champions League.

Marinakis was unhappy that Taiwo Awoniyi was substituted after suffering a serious abdominal injury that required urgent surgery on Monday night.

The forward and Leicester player Facundo Buonanotte both crashed into the upright while trying to get on the end of a cross late on in the game. To make matters worse, the incident happened after Anthony Elanga was allowed to advance forward despite being clearly onside. As per a directive from the PGMOL, assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis delayed raising her flag to allow play continue.

Awoniyi attempted to play on after several minutes of treatment, but was unable to move properly as Forest searched for a late winner.

The Midlands outfit confirmed on Tuesday that the player is “recovering well” from surgery. Sky Sports News claim that he suffered a ruptured intestine.

“The seriousness of his 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,” Forest said.

Forest release bizarre statement on Marinakis confrontation

The club went on to hit back at criticism leveled at Marinakis over his post-match reaction in the strongly-worded statement, claiming there was “no confrontation” between the owner and Nuno.

“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.”

The statement went on to praise Marinakis for his leadership before taking aim at “influential voices” who castigated the businessman for his actions.

“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.

Read – Nuno explains on-pitch confrontation with Forest owner Marinakis

“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.

“At Nottingham Forest, we believe the mental and physical well-being of our players and coaching staff must always take precedence — over media narratives, inflammatory judgements, and certainly over self-promotion. In moments like these, the game must unite around those who put their bodies and minds on the line every week. That’s what real leadership looks like in our game.”

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville labelled the incident “absolutely scandalous”, while colleague Jamie Carragher called it “unbelievable”.

Read – Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis defends Nuno clash

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