Manager Nuno Espírito Santo has explained the reason behind Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis’ on-pitch frustration following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the City Ground, a result that all but ended Forest’s dreams of UEFA Champions League qualification.
Forest were in control for much of the match and looked on course for a crucial win until a late equaliser from Facundo Buonanotte stunned the home crowd and secured a point for Leicester in the tense East Midlands derby.
The result now leaves Forest’s Champions League hopes hanging by a thread, no longer within their own control.
Central to the late drama was Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who entered the game as a substitute but suffered an injury after colliding with the post during a breakaway.
Despite being clearly in discomfort, Awoniyi remained on the pitch, effectively reducing Forest to ten men during a critical stage of the match.
After the final whistle, a visibly angry Evangelos Marinakis stormed onto the pitch and appeared to confront Nuno over the decision not to substitute the injured forward.
Cameras captured the tense exchange, and when asked about the incident, Nuno told Sky Sports:
“It was due to the situation and the confusion over the substitution of Taiwo Awoniyi. We made a different sub, and after that, we played with one man less, so that frustrates everyone. It’s obvious. When a player is down, you get information that he is OK to continue, then we make a sub, and it turns out he can’t continue.
Later that evening, Marinakis released a statement via Instagram. While celebrating Forest’s guaranteed return to European competition for the first time in 30 years, he clarified his reaction:
“We are extremely proud of and close to Nuno and the team, and we must celebrate the historic achievements of this season.
“Everybody – coaching staff, players, supporters and including myself – we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgment 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!”
Despite dropping to seventh in the table, Forest can take solace in a historic campaign that has delivered European football and revived the club’s stature in English football.
