The Football Association (FA) has fined Nuno Espirito Santo £40,000 after he questioned the integrity of match officials following Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat to Everton last season.
The 50-year-old Forest head coach has also been given a suspended one-match touchline ban.
The sanction for misconduct related to media comments made by the Portuguese on April 21, when Forest felt aggrieved not to be awarded three penalties during their defeat at Goodison Park.
Referee Anthony Taylor waved away the penalty appeals and VAR Stuart Attwell opted not to overrule the decisions.
A statement posted on Forest’s official X account minutes after full-time read: “Three extremely poor decisions — three penalties not given — which we simply cannot accept.”
Asked for his response to the post, Nuno told Sky Sports: “It’s understandable that we act like this as a club because we want to get things right. We don’t want bad referees, we want good decisions.
“Ok, if the game today, we lost and there were no incidents, OK we take it. We didn’t play good enough to win the match. But we did things right in the right moments. We’ve been disappointed with those decisions.”
Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept.
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.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 21, 2024
Forest claimed they had raised their concern over the appointment of Attwell — a Luton Town supporter — as VAR before the game.
Nuno continued: “I don’t understand the reason and the decision of Anthony Taylor or VAR Stuart Atwell. I don’t understand because I see the images. But I can talk to you.
“This is a general feeling that’s been with us. We are trying to ignore it, but so many times it’s repeating bad decisions against us, not giving us… even taking things from us. It’s very difficult to control.”
PGMOL chief Howard Webb later admitted Forest should have been awarded one penalty.
Forest full-back Neco Williams was also given a £24,000 fine and warned on his future conduct after he told Sky after that ‘top six sides’ would have been awarded the penalties in the Everton game.
(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
