JAKARTA - Former Manchester United defender and leading football pundit, Gary Neville, were surprisingly banned by Nottingham Forest to cover the Premier League's deciding match against Chelsea on Sunday, May 25. This decision was taken following Neville's scathing criticism of the club's owners some time ago.
Neville, who is scheduled to be a crucial match commentator for both teams in the race for Champions League tickets through Sky Sports, expressed his disappointment through uploads on Instagram. He stated that Sky Sports told him on Thursday that Forest "will not give him accreditation or access to the stadium as a co-commitator".
"I have no choice but to withdraw from coverage," Neville wrote. "I have given criticism and praise over the past 14 years in this work and have never come close to this unprecedented act."
This incident is strongly suspected to be the aftermath of Neville's comments criticizing the owner of Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis, after the owner took to the field and was seen arguing with manager Nuno Espirito Santo after a 2-2 draw against Leicester City earlier this month. Neville called Marinakis' actions "kasdal".
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In response to this ban, Neville stated that although Forest has the right to determine who can enter their stadium, he feels "disappointed that a great club like Nottingham Forest must make such a decision". He added that this was "symptomatic of the things that have happened over the past 12 months with the club".
Sky Sports itself shows full support for Neville. In its official statement, they called Nottingham Forest's move an "unprecedented and undesirable act". As a result, Sky Sports decided to broadcast the match from their studio in west London.
"Because he can no longer be a commentator from the stadium, Gary has chosen not to be a part of Sunday's coverage - a decision that Sky fully supports," Sky Sports said in a statement.
The match between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at City Ground is predicted to be a fierce match, considering both teams have ambitions to finish in the top five and secure a place in the Champions League next season. Gary Neville's absence from the sidelines will certainly be in the spotlight in this crucial match.
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