Nottingham Forest boss makes referee vow after Premier League controversy

Nottingham Forest were involved in frequent battles with referees last season, with boss Nuno Espirito Santo recently receiving a hefty fine for his comments about their integrity

Nuno Espirito Santo says he’s trying not to moan about referees this season.

Nottingham Forest ’s boss – and the City Ground club – were involved in a long-running battle with officialdom last term. It landed both the club’s boss and Forest in hot water.

Nuno picked up a £40,000 fine and a suspended one-game ban for comments about the referee’s integrity following a defeat at Everton. And the club issued a statement after the game, complaining about penalty decisions that didn’t go their way.

They also employed former top ref Mark Clattenburg to act as a go-between between them an officialdom to iron out any misunderstandings over decisions. Asked whether his whining would continue, Nuno said: “It’s a good question – I hope not, honestly.

“Some of you guys have known me for many years and I always try not to. But I’m confident after the meetings we’ve had that things are going to improve not only for Forest but all the Premier League.”

Top flight bosses met with representatives from the referees’ body to discuss VAR last month. Improvements to VAR involve reducing delays to the game, improved training and better transparency and communication of decisions.

Supporters should receive more information from on-screen messages with social media carrying more messages to aid clarity. Nuno added: “They are trying very hard to improve everywhere and trust the referees.

“I always said – and I said to them at the meetings – the referees should be the ones to take decisions not those who are so far away. That was my main message.”

There was further good news for Forest’s fans when Nuno confirmed that the Profit and Sustainability issues that dogged the club over the second half of the season are not, as he understood it, going to be a concern this season.

The former two-time European Champions were deducted four points after being found guilty of breaking the rules. But the Portuguese said: “As I’m aware, I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I think we are going to be okay. We had enough last season.

“It’s a big relief. It’s so much simpler dealing with things you can control. What we can control is our squad, the training sessions, the way we want to compete. That’s all we want to worry about.

“It was there. It was painful for us who were involved in such a difficult task since we arrived. The players were always anxious, always wondering what the final decision would be. It was difficult. It’s over and we don’t want to think about it anymore.”