- Nottingham Forest faced numerous clashes with referees last season, and manager Nuno Espirito Santo was recently fined heavily for questioning their integrity.
Nuno Espirito Santo says he’s making an effort not to complain about referees this season.
Last year, Nottingham Forest and their manager were caught in a prolonged conflict with officials, which led to both Nuno and the club facing disciplinary action. Nuno was fined £40,000 and received a suspended one-game ban for questioning a referee’s integrity after a loss to Everton. The club also issued a statement criticizing penalty decisions in that match.
To help smooth over issues, Forest brought in former top referee Mark Clattenburg to mediate between the club and officials. When asked if he would continue to criticize referees, Nuno responded, “It’s a good question – I hope not, honestly. I’ve always tried not to, and after the meetings we’ve had, I’m confident things will improve not just for Forest but across the Premier League.”
Premier League managers recently met with representatives from the referees’ organization to discuss VAR improvements. The changes aim to reduce game delays, enhance training, and increase transparency and communication around decisions. Fans will also receive more information through on-screen messages and social media updates.
Nuno added, “They are working very hard to improve things, and I trust the referees. I’ve always said the referees should make the decisions, not those far away, and that was my main message at the meetings.”
In more positive news for Forest fans, Nuno confirmed that the Profit and Sustainability issues that troubled the club last season are not expected to be a problem this year. Last season, Forest were docked four points for violating the rules, but Nuno said, “As far as I know, we should be okay this season. We had enough last year.”
He continued, “It’s a big relief. It’s much easier to deal with things you can control – like our squad, training sessions, and how we want to compete. That’s all we want to focus on now. Last season was tough, with the players always anxious about the final decision. It’s over, and we don’t want to think about kit anymore.”