Nottingham Forest Owner Marinakis Confronts Manager After Draw

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was seen angrily confronting manager Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch and later in the tunnel following a 2-2 draw with Leicester City, which affected the club's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. The dispute centered around the handling of Taiwo Awoniyi's injury, as Awoniyi suffered an abdominal injury but continued playing due to Forest running out of substitutions, effectively leaving the team a man down in the final minutes. Lip readers revealed Marinakis questioned Santo about the decision without prior consultation, expressing frustration over what he perceived as a misjudgment by the medical staff regarding Awoniyi's ability to continue. Santo explained the situation as a miscommunication between the coaching and medical teams, emphasizing the team's disappointment and the difficulty of playing with an injured player. Despite the tension, both Marinakis and Santo acknowledged the passion behind the incident, with Marinakis later releasing a statement celebrating Forest's historic return to European football while urging continued focus. The episode reflects the high emotions surrounding Forest's performance and aspirations, with Marinakis known for his hands-on and sometimes controversial involvement at the club.