Nottingham Forest's Nuno Espirito Santo Reacts to Owner's 'Frustration' after Draw

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo played down the significance of the confrontation between he and club owner Evangelos Marinakis following Sunday's 2-2 draw with Leicester City.

Marinakis walked onto the pitch for a chat with Nuno immediately after the match.

The coach explained there was a "miscommunication" when Elliot Anderson was subbed off for Jota Silva in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. That was Forest's last sub, so it couldn't take off Taiwo Awoniyi after he was injured while colliding with the post in the 87th minute.

"(There was) disappointment and frustration, of course," Nuno said, per The Athletic's Paul Taylor. "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. I have been in football (for) so many years as a player and as a coach. It is the passion and desire. 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."

While Nuno remained diplomatic, a lot of people were surprised by Marinakis' actions. Every manager wants to have a club owner who's emotionally invested in the results, but a certain level of decorum and professionalism is to be expected.

There's also the fact that Forest has already overachieved by qualifying for a European competition. Sure, missing out on the Champions League and settling for the Europa League or Conference League would be a disappointment, but this is a club that finished 17th in 2023-24.

Marinakis' reputation precedes him. Going onto the field for a very public conversation with his manager isn't out of character for him.

Because of that, Sunday's moment may play into bigger fears this season's success won't lead to much long-term stability and that Forest's impulsive owner remains firmly in charge.