Evangelos Marinakis 'lucky not to get longer Nottingham Forest ban'
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was right to be handed a five-game stadium ban following a spitting incident last month.
That is the view of finance expert Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the Greek could have received a longer ban.
Forest were fined £750,000 by the FA on 11 October for an “attack on the integrity of a match official on an unparalleled scale” following a loss against Everton last season.
And in a new twist, Marinakis has been handed a five-game stadium ban for spitting on the floor as match officials walked past in the tunnel following the 1-0 defeat against Fulham on 28 September.
Nuno Espirito Santo and Morgan Gibbs-White have been handed bans for their reactions to a red card in the 2-2 draw against Brighton on 22 September.
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider the FA should “get back in their box” after banning Marinakis for five games.
Evangelos Marinakis could have received longer Nottingham Forest ban
But Borson doesn’t agree with that assessment as he believes a lengthy ban is an appropriate punishment for a spitting offence.
He told Football Insider: “I don’t think it was a harsh punishment.
“He was spitting at people.
“He came up with some excuses, but they are not very credible.
“I think if you go around spitting at people, you can expect quite a long ban.
“Maybe even five is not very many.
“It’s all just too emotional and grounded in nonsense.
“The stuff where they made the complaint and the Clattenburg press release, it’s all nonsense.
“They have been punished for it and it will all move on, but it’s all emotional nonsense.
“I think they need to concentrate on the pitch.”
For more Nottingham Forest news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.