Jamie Carragher has disclosed a rather heated exchange with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who told him to 'f--- off' after the Liverpool legend expressed support for his Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville.
The ban on Neville came as a result of his criticism of Marinakis' actions following Forest's last match at home against Leicester. Marinakis had made quite the scene by confronting manager Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch post-match, unhappy with the handling of Taiwo Awoniyi's injury by the coaching and medical staff.
Neville didn't mince words on social media platform X, stating: "Scandalous from that Forest owner. Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players, and manager do not deserve that."
The Forest owner was less than pleased with Neville's remarks, leading to a ban on Neville for their pivotal match against Chelsea, where a win could secure Forest a Champions League spot for the first time in 45 years, simultaneously knocking Chelsea out of contention.
Neville aired his views on the ban via an Instagram post, prompting Carragher to react with laughter. When Neville inquired if Carragher, too, had been barred, the Liverpool icon recounted his own experience, saying: "He said I was fine to commentate, but I couldn't go near the pitch. I said, 'I'm not coming at all if you're not letting Gary in', so he told me to, 'F--- off'."
It's been revealed that Sky will no longer broadcast their show live from the City Ground, instead opting to cover the match from their own studio in west London. However, they will still send a commentary team to Nottingham.
Evangelos Marinakis
Evangelos Marinakis sent Jamie Carragher packing (Image: Cameron Smith - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Neville has been inundated with support following the revelation of Forest's ban. "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," he penned in his recent post.
"I was informed yesterday by Sky Sports that Nottingham Forest would not grant me an accreditation or access to the stadium as a co-commentator. I've had no option but to withdraw from the coverage.What are your thoughts on Nottingham Forest banning Gary Neville? Share your views in the comments section."
I've given out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never experienced anything like this. Personally, I find it disappointing that a prestigious club like Nottingham Forest have resorted to making such a decision.
"While they have every right to decide who they allow into their own stadium, it's indicative of things that have transpired over the last 12 months with the club. ""I wish the coaching staff, players and fans of the club all the best in their pursuit of Champions League football.".