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’s chief executive had been “careless” in making the remarks, which came about as Masters sought to justify the league’s profit and sustainability rules to MPs.
“I think that was not appropriate,” Marinakis said. “I think it was a bit careless. I think that Nottingham Forest and Everton are very big clubs and maybe are bigger than the ones that we consider today big clubs.”
Forest and Everton have been charged with breaches of profit and sustainability rules, with the Merseyside club facing a second assessment by an independent panel this season having been docked 10 points for an earlier breach. Their appeal against that punishment is being heard this week.
Masters, under questioning at the culture, media and sport committee two weeks ago, was asked whether “big clubs” were treated differently under the rules, with deliberation over the 115 charges levelled against Premier League champions Manchester City ongoing. Masters said in reply: “The standard directions [on PSR] are for everybody, they’re not just for the small clubs.”
Last week the chair of the committee, the MP Caroline Dinenage, wrote to the Premier League asking Masters to clarify the remarks. “Richard Masters’ implication that nine-times league title winners Everton and double European Cup winners Nottingham Forest are ‘small clubs’ will have raised eyebrows with fans,” she wrote. “To suggest clubs are categorised according to size raises wider questions about whether every member of the league truly does receive treatment that is fair and consistent.” Masters had also described Everton to the committee as an “important member” of the league.
Marinakis, speaking at the racial and gender equity in European football conference being hosted by Forest, said that he was sceptical of the terms “big” and “small” clubs, with the key metric in his opinion being the size of a club’s crowd.
“Big team and small teams is maybe not an appropriate expression,” he said. “It’s a team that has a lot of support or that has achieved a lot of victories or a lot of trophies. But if you analyse it you see who are these teams, these are the teams with the big crowds. Rarely is it teams without a solid supporter base who go on to win a trophy. You see the power of your supporters in the ground and even when you don’t play well the support makes you feel stronger. I think this is very important for our sport.”
Meanwhile, Forest completed the signing of USA midfielder Giovanni Reyna on loan until the end of the season on Wednesday. The 21-year-old, son of former Rangers and Manchester City player Claudio Reyna, has made 121 appearances for the Bundesliga side since joining from New York City in 2019.
Reyna is the first Forest signing for new manager Nuno Espírito Santo.
