According to sources cited by Football Insider, Nuno Espirito Santo is facing a probable touchline ban due to his remarks following the Nottingham Forest and Everton match. Senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke, speaking on the Inside Track podcast, indicated that Nuno expressed significant frustration during his post-match press conference, particularly regarding three denied penalty appeals by his team.
Following the game, Forest issued a contentious statement on Twitter, criticizing match officials for their perceived role in the 2-0 loss at Goodison Park on April 21. The club alleged that they had previously informed the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) that VAR official Stuart Attwell had affiliations with Luton Town, but no changes were made to his appointment.
O’Rourke anticipates that the club will face a substantial fine, and both Nuno and right-back Neco Williams are likely to face repercussions for their comments made after the match.
Nuno to receive touchline ban as Nottingham Forest fine expected
Forest’s decision to openly express their annoyance at the officials has earned them widespread criticism.
There have been rumors that after two penalty appeals were denied in the first half, the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, intended to make the announcement at halftime.
PGMOL president Howard Webb has acknowledged that Nuno’s team ought to have received a penalty for Ashley Young’s foul on Callum Hudson-Odoi during the second half.
That won’t likely be sufficient to absolve Forest, Nuno, or Williams, though, since the Premier League and the FA have both stated that they are looking into the situation.
The team already lost four points this season for breaking the league’s spending regulations, so more penalties are the last thing they need.
However, based on their responses to the incident, it’s likely that the three parties at the City Ground will receive some sort of punishment.
In other developments, an expert claims that Nottingham Forest is making PSR the “scapegoat” for a recent development.