Gary Neville has been banned from Nottingham Forest’s stadium for their final Premier League game of the season against Chelsea this Sunday.
The former Manchester United and England defender was due to be part of Sky Sports’ coverage at The City Ground this weekend.
However, MailOnline report that Forest have submitted a formal complaint to Sky about Neville and have requested for the commentary team to be changed ahead of the game.
Sky Sports have described Forest’s decision as ‘unprecedented and unwelcome’ and will no longer be presenting from the stadium on Sunday.
Forest are unhappy with Neville after he heavily criticised the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis for appearing to confront the team’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, in the aftermath of the 2-2 draw with Leicester City earlier this month.
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It later emerged that Marinakis was venting his frustration towards Forest’s medical department for allowing Taiwo Awoniyi to play after the striker had sustained a serious abdominal injury which subsequently required surgery.
Awoniyi suffered a ruptured intestine after colliding with the goalpost and was in an induced coma in hospital.
Neville, meanwhile, hit out at Marinakis during Sky Sports’ broadcast shortly after his confrontation with Nuno.
‘I feel compelled to mention that what the Nottingham Forest owner has just done on the pitch over at the City Ground is absolutely scandalous,’ Neville said during his commentary.
‘If I were Nuno, I would be going and having a really strong word. That is an absolute scandal, he’s just qualified them for European competition.
‘Where that club’s been, to be remonstrated with on the pitch in front of their own fans is an absolute joke.
‘Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him. The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.’
Forest hit back at Neville in a statement which read: ‘We urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context – least of all the injured player.
‘Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one — least of all the injured player.’
Gary Neville responds to Forest’s ban…
In his response to Forest’s decision to ban him from The City Ground this weekend, Neville said: ‘I was contacted by Sky Sports earlier on in the week and told that I would be commentating at the City Ground on Sunday for the Nottingham Forest v Chelsea match.
‘I was informed yesterday by Sky Sports that Nottingham Forest would not give me an accreditation or access to the stadium as a co-commentator. I’ve had no choice but to withdraw from the coverage.
‘I’ve dished out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never come close to this unprecedented action.
‘Personally, I think it’s disappointing that a great club like Nottingham Forest have been reduced to making such a decision. Whilst they have every right to choose who they let into their own stadium, it’s symptomatic of things that have happened over the last 12 months with the club.
‘I wish the coaching staff, players and fans of the club all the best in their quest to achieve Champions League football.’
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