Latest Nottingham Forest news: Reds owner speaks out on Everton dispute and referee complaints.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has expressed dissatisfaction with how refereeing decisions have “cost” Nottingham Forest points this season.
In their quest to avoid relegation, the Reds have faced a number of contentious decisions. They have written a letter of protest to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) several times.
Their frustration with officials reached a climax during last month’s 2-0 defeat at Everton. Forest were outraged when three penalty appeals against Ashley Young were turned down, and Stuart Attwell questioned the legitimacy of VAR in an angry tweet after the game.
“It’s not fair what has happened so far,” Marinakis told BBC Sport. “Referee decisions have cost us points, and this has happened repeatedly. We expect the Premier League and referees to remedy these mistakes. It’s a shame because we have a strong appetite for the club, and I never give up.”
The BBC’s Match of the Day X account posted a remark from Marinakis in response to a query about whether he believed recent refereeing decisions were a “vendetta” against the Reds or simply mistakes. It said, “It’s a combination.” I hope it is a mistake. But it’s a recurring error, which is what concerns me. But, as I previously stated, if it was a vendetta, it should have been because you must be fair, even if you dislike someone.
The Football Association has punished the club, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, and defender Neco Williams with misconduct over statements made following the loss at Goodison Park. They had until yesterday, May 9, to answer.
Forest’s tweet following Everton’s loss accused Attwell of supporting relegation rivals Luton Town. It read: “Three incredibly terrible decisions, three penalties not imposed, which we simply cannot accept. We informed the PGMOL before the game that the VAR is a Luton fan, but they did not change him. Our patience has been challenged several times. “NFFC will now consider its options.”
Marinakis, who also owns Olympiacos and spoke after the Greek club’s Europa Conference League triumph over Aston Villa, added: “It was incredibly aggravating to watch three consecutive blunders from the same (Everton) player. We also informed the Premier League chairman that…all referees have a preference for the side they favor. Unfortunately, nothing happened, and they made no changes, so we saw what we saw.
The Reds play Chelsea on Saturday, with their survival chances in their own hands. They are three points above the drop zone with two games remaining.
