Why has Gary Neville been banned from Nottingham Forest for final day of Premier League season?
THE Premier League season will come to an end today, and it promises to be a thrilling day of action.
The top and the bottom have already been finalised, with just the European spots still to play for.
1
Nottingham Forest have the chance to cap off a stunning season wth Champions League football
Credit: PA
FIVE teams remain in the hunt to join
The standout game comes at the City Ground with Nuno Espírito Santo's side hosting top-five rivals Chelsea.
Forest need to BEAT the Blues to stand any chance of the Champions League, while a win for the London outfit would guarantee their spot.
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Sky Sports have the rights to broadcast the blockbuster clash, but one key figure has been banned from attending.
Why has Gary Neville been banned from Nottingham Forest?
Neville has been banned from commentating at the City Ground for Forest's Champions League decider against Chelsea this afternoon after the former England right-back slammed the club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis.
Two weeks ago, the Sky Sports figure criticised the Forest chief's 'absolutely scandalous' on-pitch row with boss Nuno in the final minutes of the 2-2 draw with Leicester on May 11.
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Marinakis was furious that Forest's medical staff did not recognise the extent of striker Taiwo Awoniyi's injury when the Nigerian collided with a post.
Awoniyi was subsequently placed in an induced coma after undergoing surgery for a ruptured intestine.
When he saw the confrontation, Neville said: "What the Forest owner has just done on the pitch over at the City Ground is absolutely scandalous.
"If I was Nuno, I'd be going and having a very strong word with him, because that is an absolute scandal.
"He's just qualified them for a European competition, and from where that club's been, and to be remonstrated with on that pitch in front of the club's fans is an absolute joke."
Neville later added on X: '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."
Forest hit back, using the club's social media accounts to implicitly accuse Neville of having pushed 'fake news online', adding: 'Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one — least of all the injured player.
'We call on these influential voices to show the same respect for player welfare that they often demand from others. Let concern come before commentary.
'At Nottingham Forest, we believe the mental and physical well-being of our players and coaching staff must always take precedence — over media narratives, inflammatory judgements, and certainly over self-promotion.'
Forest also insisted there had been no confrontation between Marinakis and the manager.
Sky had Neville booked in for the co-commentary gig at the City Ground this afternoon.
A spokesman for the channel said: "Sky Sports was subsequently informed by Nottingham Forest that Gary Neville would be denied accreditation to the match.
"This was an unprecedented and unwelcome step.
"As a result, Sky Sports has decided to revise its production plans and has taken the decision to present the game from Sky Studios in west London."
Neville has chosen not to partake in Sky's broadcast of the game at all after being prevented from co-commentating at the City Ground.
It is expected he will be replaced, with Sky choosing to still work the match coverage from the ground, even though their show will now be presented from Osterley rather than Nottingham.
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