Gary Neville has been banned from attending Nottingham Forest's final game of the Premier League season against Chelsea, according to a new report. Nuno Espirito Santo's and Enzo Maresca's men will meet at the City Ground on Sunday as they look to secure Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season.
The game is set to be aired as part of Sky Sports' coverage, with Neville set to have been a part of the punditry team. However, as a result of his recent criticisms of the club—more specifically owner Evangelos Marinakis—Forest have now prohibited the former Manchester United defender from being at the stadium.
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Neville Banned From Forest's Final Game of the Season
The club spoke of their dissatisfaction regarding Neville working the game
According to Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail, Forest has asked the broadcaster to replace its current commentary lineup, citing fears that certain remarks made by Gary Neville could provoke a negative reaction from supporters during upcoming coverage. The club believes that Neville’s recent comments were calculated to discredit their progress this season.
This action follows a string of strongly worded posts from the former Manchester United player on social media. Sources within Forest suggest there’s a long-standing tension, with suspicions that Neville harbours resentment toward the club’s hierarchy and coaching staff.
The club lodged an official complaint with Sky Sports regarding their leading man, after the network confirmed his involvement in this Sunday’s high-profile fixture. The Premier League is also aware of the situation but will not intervene as it remains the right of every club as to why they do and don't let inside the stadium.
The banning order comes after the 50-year-old suggested Espirito Santo should leave the club following his showdown with owner Marinakis, believed to have centred around the injured Taiwo Awoniyi, thoughts he shared both on Twitter and live on air.
In response, Forest issued a strongly worded statement that, while stopping short of naming Neville directly, condemned the spread of “fake news online” and criticised what it described as “baseless, ill-informed outrage designed to generate personal attention on social media.”
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Sky Sports Respond to Neville's Ban
The broadcasters have shared their thoughts
Gary Neville working for Sky Sports
In the wake of the news, Sky have released a statement to the Daily Mail, stating that the move is "unprecedented and unwelcome."
They have also altered its broadcast plans and will now anchor coverage from its headquarters in west London. Neville, meanwhile, is believed to have opted out of participating in the programme, a decision made with the full support of the network. Despite the changes, Sky will still maintain a commentary presence inside the stadium.
This isn't the first time Sky have gone head-to-head either, as the broadcasters were forced to apologise after Neville called the club's reaction to the VAR performance of Stuart Attwell as like that of a 'mafia gang.'