Nottingham Forest owner takes offense to Richard Masters' 'small club' comments | Nottingham Forest

The owner of Nottingham Forest has said Richard Masters acted inappropriately when he appeared to describe Forest and Everton as “small clubs” at a parliamentary hearing.

Evangelos Marinakis said the Premier League chief executive had been “careless” in making the comments, which came as Masters attempted to justify the league's sustainability and profit rules to MPs.

“I think that was inappropriate,” Marinakis said. “I think it was a little sloppy. “I think Nottingham Forest and Everton are very big clubs and maybe bigger than what we consider big clubs today.”

Forest and Everton have been accused of breaching profit and sustainability rules, with the Merseyside club facing a second assessment by an independent panel this season, having been docked 10 points for a previous breach. His appeal against that punishment will be heard this week.

Masters, questioned at the culture, media and sport committee two weeks ago, was asked whether “big clubs” were treated differently under the rules, as deliberation continues over the 115 charges brought against the Premier League champions. , Manchester City. Masters responded: “The standard instructions (in PSR) are for everyone, they are not just for small clubs.”

Last week, committee chairwoman Caroline Dinenage MP wrote to the Premier League asking Masters to clarify the statements. “Richard Masters's suggestion that nine-time league champions Everton and double European Cup winners Nottingham Forest are 'small clubs' will have caught the attention of fans,” she wrote. “Suggesting that clubs be classified based on size raises broader questions about whether each member of the league is truly treated fairly and consistently.” Masters also described Everton to the committee as an “important member” of the league.

Marinakis, speaking at the conference on racial and gender equity in European football hosted by Forest, said he was skeptical about the terms “big” and “small” clubs, with the key metric in his view being the size of a club's crowd. club.

“Big team and small team may not be an appropriate expression,” he said. “It is a team that has a lot of support or that has achieved many victories or many trophies. But if you analyze it you see who these teams are, these are the teams with the greatest fans. Rarely are teams without a strong fan base that win a trophy. You see the power of your fans on the field and even when you don't play well, the support makes you feel stronger. “I think this is very important for our sport.”