“Too painful for Awoniyi” – Nottingham Forest coach breaks silence following clash with club owner Marinakis
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“Too painful for Awoniyi” – Nottingham Forest coach breaks silence following clash with club owner Marinakis
“Too painful for Awoniyi” – Nottingham Forest coach breaks silence following clash with club owner Marinakis
Nottingham Forest head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, has revealed the situation that led to a bust between himself and the club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, Soccernet.ng reports.
Taiwo Awoniyi collided with the cross bar in Forest's 2-2 draw against Leicester City and was writhing in pain, in an attempt to continue playing. Eventually he had to be subbed off and Forest continued the game with ten men.
Forest's draw diminished their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and Marinakis came onto the turf after the full-time whistle, exchanging words with Nuno Espirito Santo about why the team continued with ten men.
Taiwo Awoniyi collides with the goalposts during the Nottingham Forest FC v Leicester City FC English Premier League match at the City
Awoniyi's condition was worse than expected and he eventually had surgery on his abdomen. Nuno admitted the bust up and the injury situation made things tense for everyone.
“It (the result) was disappointing for everybody. Unfortunately we had to play the last 10 minutes with one man less. Taiwo (Awoniyi) gave it a go but it was too painful for him to really push and help the team.
Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Olympiacos FC.
Quizzed about his dispostion to club owners reacting in the manner Marinakis did, the Portuguese gaffer said;
Taiwo Awoniyi and Sepp van den Berg of Brentford battle for the ball during the Nottingham Forest vs Brentford Premier League match at the
Nottingham Forest are currently 7th on the English Premier League table, and with two league games left to play, their chances of making the Champions League places are still wide open, although they'll be needing help from elsewhere.
https://soccernet.ng/2025/05/awoniyi-no ... nakis.html
Nottingham Forest head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, has revealed the situation that led to a bust between himself and the club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, Soccernet.ng reports.
Taiwo Awoniyi collided with the cross bar in Forest's 2-2 draw against Leicester City and was writhing in pain, in an attempt to continue playing. Eventually he had to be subbed off and Forest continued the game with ten men.
Forest's draw diminished their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and Marinakis came onto the turf after the full-time whistle, exchanging words with Nuno Espirito Santo about why the team continued with ten men.
Taiwo Awoniyi collides with the goalposts during the Nottingham Forest FC v Leicester City FC English Premier League match at the City
Awoniyi's condition was worse than expected and he eventually had surgery on his abdomen. Nuno admitted the bust up and the injury situation made things tense for everyone.
“It (the result) was disappointing for everybody. Unfortunately we had to play the last 10 minutes with one man less. Taiwo (Awoniyi) gave it a go but it was too painful for him to really push and help the team.
“There was a misunderstanding between the coaching staff and the medical department. We had the heads up to make a sub, then Taiwo tried but he could not.
“Disappointment and frustration of course, but it is because of the owner and his passion that we are growing as a club. He pushes us. He wants us to be better.
“It is his passion and desire to be a big club – 30,000 people felt the same today. For sure, many of them would go on the pitch and shake us down. Us as a club, we owe a lot to the Marinakis family,” the former Tottenham Hotspur manager said in quotes revealed by Nottingham Post.
Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Olympiacos FC.
Quizzed about his dispostion to club owners reacting in the manner Marinakis did, the Portuguese gaffer said;
Ex-Manchester United defender, Gary Neville, opined that the whole situation was disrespectful to Nuno who has turned Forest fortunes around. Still, the club's coach responded in a mild tone, telling the former England International he can handle the weight of the circumstance he's currently in.“I have been in football so many years as a player and now as a coach. It is the passion and desire of the owner. The players feel it, we feel it and the fans feel it. We have to do better. Today it was our obligation to do better.”
“I am not going to comment too much. I have huge respect for Gary Neville, he is the coach who replaced me when I was sacked at Valencia so he was a coach himself.
“He knows what it is like to be on the touchline. All the rest, please allow me. I do not want to proceed about the future and all these things. We are too disappointed.
“I have a dressing room with young boys who, through this season, made a big effort. We are tired and we are battered – you can see the end of the game. This is what I will take home today, how can I find better solutions for us? How can I help my players?”
Taiwo Awoniyi and Sepp van den Berg of Brentford battle for the ball during the Nottingham Forest vs Brentford Premier League match at the
Nottingham Forest are currently 7th on the English Premier League table, and with two league games left to play, their chances of making the Champions League places are still wide open, although they'll be needing help from elsewhere.
https://soccernet.ng/2025/05/awoniyi-no ... nakis.html
Re: “Too painful for Awoniyi” – Nottingham Forest coach breaks silence following clash with club owner Marinakis
Forest say Marinakis 'confrontation' is 'fake news'
Nottingham Forest have denied that owner Evangelos Marinakis' exchange with manager Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch on Sunday was a "confrontation".
And the East Midlands club described subsequent reaction to the situation as "fake news".
An animated Marinakis spoke to Nuno after Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Leicester.
Forest said the incident was because of Marinakis' frustration that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play after an 88th-minute injury which subsequently required 'urgent' surgery on Monday night.
The club added Marinakis' actions were because of his "deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment," in the player and the club.
"The truth of the matter is there was no confrontation, with Nuno or with others, either on the pitch or inside the stadium," the club added.
"There was only shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.
"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."
Forest said Awoniyi is "recovering well" after surgery on an abdominal injury.
The Nigeria international, 27, collided with the post in the 88th minute of the draw at the City Ground as he attempted to get on the end of a cross from Anthony Elanga.
He received treatment on the pitch and continued playing, with Forest having used their three substitution windows, but was visibly struggling when the match restarted.
Forest said Marinakis' decision to go on to the pitch was "instinctive" and "human", showing "just how much this team and its people mean to him".
"To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club - it's family - and he instils that message in all of us," Forest said.
"In moments like that he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence.
"In the final 10 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."
Speaking on Sky Sports following the match, former Manchester United captain Gary Neville described Marinakis' actions as an "absolute joke" and "scandalous".
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said on BBC Sport's Match Of The Day 2 it was "not a great look" for Marinakis.
However, speaking on 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Chris Sutton said: "I was at the match. I think there was a real overreaction in the way people viewed this.
"It was because of a misunderstanding between the medical team over Awoniyi. The anger came because Marinakis cared - this wasn't aimed at Nuno."
In their statement on Tuesday, Forest called some of the coverage of the incident "baseless and ill-informed outrage" for the "purposes of personal social media traction".
The club added: "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.
"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."
"Nottingham Forest can confirm that Taiwo Awoniyi is recovering well so far following urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained during Sunday's match against Leicester City.
"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. At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just policy for us; it is the deeply held belief and conviction of our owner. To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club - it's family - and he instils that message in all of us.
"That is why he was so personally and emotionally invested in the situation that unfolded at the City Ground on Sunday. 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.
"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."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... gq980rndpo
Nottingham Forest have denied that owner Evangelos Marinakis' exchange with manager Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch on Sunday was a "confrontation".
And the East Midlands club described subsequent reaction to the situation as "fake news".
An animated Marinakis spoke to Nuno after Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Leicester.
Forest said the incident was because of Marinakis' frustration that striker Taiwo Awoniyi had continued to play after an 88th-minute injury which subsequently required 'urgent' surgery on Monday night.
The club added Marinakis' actions were because of his "deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment," in the player and the club.
"The truth of the matter is there was no confrontation, with Nuno or with others, either on the pitch or inside the stadium," the club added.
"There was only shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.
"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."
Forest said Awoniyi is "recovering well" after surgery on an abdominal injury.
The Nigeria international, 27, collided with the post in the 88th minute of the draw at the City Ground as he attempted to get on the end of a cross from Anthony Elanga.
He received treatment on the pitch and continued playing, with Forest having used their three substitution windows, but was visibly struggling when the match restarted.
Forest said Marinakis' decision to go on to the pitch was "instinctive" and "human", showing "just how much this team and its people mean to him".
"To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club - it's family - and he instils that message in all of us," Forest said.
"In moments like that he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence.
"In the final 10 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."
Speaking on Sky Sports following the match, former Manchester United captain Gary Neville described Marinakis' actions as an "absolute joke" and "scandalous".
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said on BBC Sport's Match Of The Day 2 it was "not a great look" for Marinakis.
However, speaking on 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Chris Sutton said: "I was at the match. I think there was a real overreaction in the way people viewed this.
"It was because of a misunderstanding between the medical team over Awoniyi. The anger came because Marinakis cared - this wasn't aimed at Nuno."
In their statement on Tuesday, Forest called some of the coverage of the incident "baseless and ill-informed outrage" for the "purposes of personal social media traction".
The club added: "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.
"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."
"Nottingham Forest can confirm that Taiwo Awoniyi is recovering well so far following urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained during Sunday's match against Leicester City.
"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. At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just policy for us; it is the deeply held belief and conviction of our owner. To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club - it's family - and he instils that message in all of us.
"That is why he was so personally and emotionally invested in the situation that unfolded at the City Ground on Sunday. 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.
"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."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... gq980rndpo
