Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis appeared to remonstrate on the field with manager Nuno Espirito Santo after the team’s Champions League hopes were hit by a 2-2 draw against Leicester on Sunday.
Marinakis approached Espirito Santo after the final whistle at the City Ground and looked heated, gesturing with his hands during the exchange.
“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,” Espirito Santo said afterward. “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.”
Forest has been an unlikely contender for a place in next season’s Champions League, having battled against relegation last term.
But Marinakis looked displeased after the draw against Midlands rival Leicester, which has already been relegated.
Espirito Santo appeared to say only a few words in response and the pair walked away in different directions after the brief exchange. But Marinakis still looked frustrated as he headed down the tunnel.
Espirito Santo said Marinakis had been frustrated because of a miscommunication between the bench and medical staff after an injury to striker Taiwo Awoniyi late on. Marinakis later confirmed this and the Greek businessman said he was “proud” of Espirito Santo.
Marinakis relinquished his position as a person with significant control of Forest in recent weeks as the club closed in on unlikely Champions League qualification.
UEFA has rules to bar clubs from its competitions in any season if owners have “decisive influence” over two clubs which qualify. Marinakis is also president of Olympiacos, which has qualified as Greek champion.
With two rounds of the season to go, Forest is seventh — one point behind fifth-placed Chelsea.
The top five teams in the division will qualify for the Champions League.
Conor Coady fired Leicester ahead in the 16th minute, but goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood put Forest in control.
That was until Facundo Buonanotte’s equalizer in the 81st.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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