Forest's Nuno defends owner after on-pitch clash

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has defended Evangelos Marinakis' "frustration" aft the club's proprietor stormed onto the transportation pursuing Sunday's 2-2 Premier League gully against Leicester City.

After a crippled which sealed Forest's spot successful Europe for the archetypal clip successful 29 years but besides mislaid them crushed successful the contention for Champions League qualification, a visibly irritated Marinakis remonstrated with Nuno connected the pitch.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, successful commentary for Sky Sports, called the incidental "scandalous."

But Nuno has said Marinakis' actions were understandable, explaining that it was the nonaccomplishment to substitute Taiwo Awoniyi that caused the anger. Forest made their last allotted substitute soon aft Awoniyi clashed with the station with 10 minutes remaining, and the injured striker struggled to marque an interaction afterwards.

"It was owed to the situation," Nuno said. "There was a disorder implicit the concern of [Awoniyi].

"There was vexation to play 10 minutes with a subordinate that had truthful overmuch assurance and being affirmative that he's going to score.

"We made the sub, past played with 1 antheral less. That causes frustration, it's obvious.

"Football is emotions. It's hard to control, particularly erstwhile we had truthful overmuch anticipation today."

Forest, having been 3rd for overmuch of a fairytale campaign, person dropped to seventh successful the Premier League aft Facundo Buonanotte struck precocious for already-relegated Leicester.

The nine are, however, conscionable a constituent down fifth-placed Chelsea with 2 games to play and big the westbound London broadside connected the past time of the season.

Neville, speaking up of Liverpool's crippled against Arsenal, slammed Forest's proprietor for his actions.

"I deliberation what the Forest proprietor has conscionable done implicit connected the transportation astatine the City Ground is perfectly scandalous," helium said. "If I was Nuno I'd beryllium going to person a precise beardown connection with him due to the fact that that is simply a scandal.

"You've conscionable qualified for a European competition. Where that club's been, to beryllium remonstrating [with Nuno] connected the transportation successful beforehand of the club's fans is an implicit joke."

Marinakis, who besides owns Greek broadside Olympiacos, precocious placed his Forest ownership shares successful a unsighted trust successful a bid to comply with UEFA rules.