:Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has been issued a five-match stadium ban for improper behaviour in a loss to Fulham, while manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been suspended for misconduct in a draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, the FA said on Friday.
Earlier this month, the FA charged Marinakis with behaving improperly around the City Ground tunnel during Forest’s 1-0 home defeat by Fulham in September.
“(Marinakis) denied this charge, but it was found proven by the independent Regulatory Commission, and a five-match stadium/ground suspension has been imposed,” the FA said in a statement.
Manager Nuno and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White were suspended for a separate incident which occurred during a 2-2 draw between Forest and Brighton last month, with Brighton boss Fabian Huerzeler also receiving a fine for misconduct.
Both managers were shown red cards in a feisty Premier League clash, during which Forest’s Gibbs-White was sent off for a robust tackle which earned him a second booking.
The midfielder appeared incensed by the decision as was Nuno who was sent off along with Huerzeler for “unacceptable technical area behaviour” following the incident.
“Nuno Espirito Santo, Morgan Gibbs-White and Fabian Hurzeler admitted to their respective charges,” the FA said in a statement.
“The independent Regulatory Commission imposed a two-match touchline suspension and £55,000 ($71,753) fine on the Nottingham Forest head coach, which activated a further one-match touchline ban that had been suspended.”
Forest boss Nuno said he was surprised at the extent of the sanction, telling reporters: “There’s nothing we can do. It’s not for me to judge, my job is to move forward and make sure the coaching staff are ready to help the team.
“We had a hearing, everything was normal. The sanction has been decided. Let’s go.”
The FA added that Gibbs-White had also been given a one-match suspension and a 20,000 pounds fine, while Huerzeler was fined 8,000 pounds.
($1 = 0.7665 pounds)
