Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi was why the owner of Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis, publicly rebuked the club’s owner, coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Nottingham Forest—a guaranteed return to European football after 30 years. Instead, it ended with a dramatic equaliser from Leicester City and a tense, highly public confrontation between Marinakis and coach Nuno.
The flashpoint came moments after the final whistle at the City Ground. Nuno, visibly dejected after his side let slip a late lead, was in the middle of a post-match handshake with Leicester midfielder Oliver Skipp when Marinakis stormed in, delivering what looked like a furious on-field rebuke.
Television cameras captured the tense exchange, prompting strong reactions from football pundits. Former England defender Gary Neville labelled the scene “scandalous,” questioning the owner’s decision to air his frustration in such a public fashion.
Marinakis, however, defended his actions in a post-match statement, citing frustration over the handling of striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury as the root cause of his outburst.
“We were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgment on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game,” the Greek businessman explained. “This demonstrates the passion we feel for our club.”
Despite the drama, Marinakis tried to strike a celebratory tone. “Today is a day for celebration,” he said, highlighting the club’s long-awaited return to European competition.
“With two more games to go in the Premier League, we must keep believing and keep dreaming. We are extremely proud and close to Nuno and the team.”
But the optics of the confrontation were uncomfortable, especially considering Nuno’s role in lifting Forest from relegation-threatened form in 2024 to securing European football for the 2025 season.
Nuno himself downplayed the incident, clarifying that Marinakis’ frustration stemmed from a miscommunication involving Awoniyi’s fitness.
The Nigerian striker had been brought on to chase a late winner after Leicester’s equaliser. However, in a desperate attempt to reach a cross from Anthony Elanga, Awoniyi collided painfully with the post. He was down receiving treatment for several minutes, interrupting Forest’s attacking rhythm.
Though Awoniyi signaled he was fit to continue, he struggled afterward. By then, Nuno had used his final substitution window to replace midfielder Elliot Anderson with Jota Silva, leaving Forest a man down when Awoniyi could no longer effectively contribute.
“It was due to the situation and the confusion over the substitution of Taiwo,” Nuno explained. “We made a sub and after that, we played with one man less. That frustrates everyone.”
The coach acknowledged the owner’s passion and the pressure that comes with it. “Football is emotions,” he said. “When a player is down, you get information that he’s OK. Then you find out he’s not. We’re all frustrated.”
Pressed on whether he was comfortable being confronted in such a manner, Nuno responded diplomatically.
“It is because of the owner and his passion that we are growing as a club,” he said. “He wants us to be better. As a club, we owe a lot to the Marinakis family.”
Note that Nottingham Forest are currently occupying the 7th spot with 62 points in 36 games. They are guaranteed that they will either play in Europa League or Conference League next season.
However, other teams above Forest, especially third placed Newcastle, fourth played Manchester City, fifth placed Chelsea, and 6th placed Aston Villa have to lose their last two league games while Nuno’s men win theirs to stand a chance of qualifying for Champions League.
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