Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has launched a scathing attack on Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, branding him a "maverick" after the club's extraordinary social media rant following their 2-0 defeat to Everton.
The former Manchester United defender didn't mince his words during Monday Night Football, stating: "I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's like a maverick owner who's just come in and thought 'I'm going to throw grenades in every direction.'"
Forest's Controversial Statement
The outburst came after Forest posted an extraordinary statement on X (formerly Twitter) questioning the integrity of VAR official Stuart Attwell, suggesting he was biased as a Luton Town supporter. The club even claimed they had warned PGMOL about this alleged conflict of interest before the match.
Neville was particularly scathing about the club's approach: "It's like a petulant child. You can't just go around accusing people of being corrupt without evidence."
Marinakis Under Fire
The Sky Sports pundit saved his harshest criticism for Greek shipping magnate Marinakis, who also owns Olympiacos: "This is a football club that's got a bit of class and history to it, and it's being dragged through the mud by an owner who thinks he can behave however he wants."
Neville's co-pundit Jamie Carragher also weighed in, calling Forest's statement "embarrassing" and suggesting it undermined their legitimate complaints about refereeing decisions.
Premier League Fallout
The explosive comments come at a sensitive time for Forest, who are fighting relegation and could face Premier League sanctions for their social media outburst. The club's frustration stems from three penalty claims being turned down during the Everton match, but their handling of the situation has drawn widespread condemnation.
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: Nottingham Forest's dramatic approach to airing grievances has certainly got everyone talking - though perhaps not in the way they intended.
