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We spoke with Barry Glendenning on October 23, 2024, about the recent incident involving Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. After being handed a five-match stadium ban for “improper behavior” following Forest’s loss to Fulham, many, including Football Daily, were left questioning the gravity of his actions. What could justify such a significant punishment, especially when others, like Nuno Espírito Santo and Morgan Gibbs-White, received lighter sentences for arguing with officials?
The details of Marinakis’ suspension reveal a much graver offense. According to the match report from referee Josh Smith, as he walked down the tunnel after the match, Marinakis allegedly spat near his feet. This claim was corroborated by assistant referee James Mainwaring and fourth official Tim Robinson. While Marinakis might have hoped that his behavior could be framed as a local custom, the regulatory commission found his defense “completely implausible.”
His team suggested that his habit of smoking cigars caused him to cough, which occasionally leads to spitting. They described a scenario where, on the day of the incident, he was suffering from a persistent cough and merely coughed on the floor, away from the officials. They argued that coughing in a crowded tunnel does not constitute misconduct. However, the commission reviewed footage of the incident and concluded otherwise.
The commission noted, “The footage does not support the suggestion that [Big Vange] coughed.” Given common decency, they argued he would have covered his mouth if he had indeed been about to cough. The footage suggested otherwise: he did not turn away or cover his mouth, leading to the decision that Marinakis “deliberately spat in a disrespectful and disgusting display of contempt towards the match officials.” Thus came the five-match stadium ban—a significant penalty indeed.
With a lively match day approaching, Rob Smyth will provide minute-by-minute coverage of the RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool match, starting at 8 PM BST. Meanwhile, Will Unwin will keep followers updated on the rest of the evening’s fixtures across Europe.
In today’s quote of the day, Leeds coach Daniel Farke praised Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka’s performance, likening him to a Bond character: “I’ve labelled him ‘James Bond.’ He was unbelievable. He saved the world today.”
As we wrap up our conversation, a letter from Sam Fetherlin highlights a remarkable statistic about Luka Modric, who has played in over half of Croatia’s national games. At 39, he continues to perform at the highest level, outlasting many legends at Real Madrid. Another reader, Noble Francis, noted the drastic change in Real Madrid over the past four years, while Stephen Gash reminisced about past personalities in football.
For those who wish to share their thoughts or reflections, letters can be sent to [email protected]. Today’s letter of the day winner is Stephen Gash, earning himself a Football Weekly scarf.
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