Jamie Carragher has mocked fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville over his criticism of Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Neville was banned from the City Ground in May having criticised Marinakis on social media after the Forest owner charged onto the pitch following a draw at home to Leicester.
Reports this week suggested that Neville will not be permitted to attend Forest’s opening game of the season at home to Brentford, which is being shown live on Sky Sports on Sunday.
Carragher couldn’t resist commenting on the situation as he said: ‘Will you be at Forest, Gary?’.
Marinakis had appeared to confront Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo but insisted that he was concerned about striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who collided with the post but played on. The striker subsequently required abdominal surgery.
Neville had shared on X that he thought it was ‘scandalous’ behaviour from Marinakis to have come onto the pitch.
Jamie Carragher has mocked fellow pundit Gary Neville over his criticism of Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis
Neville was banned from the City Ground in May having criticised Marinakis on social media
‘Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him!’ his post read. ‘The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that.
Forest responded with a statement in which they criticised Neville.
The statement 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.
‘Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one – least of all the injured player.’
Neville later described Forest’s decision as ‘disappointing’.
‘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,’ Neville wrote.
‘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.’
Forest had previously threatened Sky Sports with legal action over Neville’s description of a club statement as being similar to one written by a ‘mafia gang’.
Forest could allow Neville to attend games if he takes more care when discussing Marinakis
After a defeat to Everton in April 2024 Forest released a statement claiming that they had been denied three penalties while also alleging bias from VAR Stuart Attwell.
‘Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept,’ the statement read. ‘We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times.
‘NFFC will now consider its options.’
Neville said of the missive that it was ‘like a mafia-gang statement’.
‘I mean honestly, what the hell are they playing at? It’s like a petulant child. It’s embarrassing.’
Forest insist that Neville hasn’t been formally banned but do not wish to allow him to enter the stadium until a resolution is found, such as the ex-England international taking more care when discussing Marinakis.
