Evangelos Marinakis and Gary Neville’s spat has threatened to overshadow Sunday’s Chelsea clash, with the Nottingham Forest owner now told to meet face-to-face with the pundit.
Gary Neville is banned from the City Ground after being set to commentate on the Chelsea match, a dramatic development in what has been a remarkable year-long dispute between Neville and Marinakis.
Starting back in April 2024, when Neville likened Marinakis’ actions to a ‘mafia gang’, the issues have flared up once again after the Forest owner appeared on the pitch in the Leicester City clash.
Neville slammed Marinakis on social media, but now, the pair have been encouraged to quash all lingering issues between the two in person.
Evangelos Marinakis urged to debate Gary Neville on Sky Sports
The decision to take away Neville’s accreditation for Sunday’s game has been seen as both admirable and petty in the football world, as Marinakis’ unique methods continue to divide opinion.
Simon Jordan criticised Neville on talkSPORT for how he reacted to the Leicester situation, but with the disagreement showing no signs of being solved, Jordan’s fellow talkSPORT pundits have suggested a radical solution.
Adam Catterall said: “Banning him [Neville] from the ground and stopping him from doing his job, I think is absolutely pathetic. […] If they [pundits] say something that you disagree with or you believe there is no substance to, and they’ve got something factually wrong, challenge them! They’re coming to your ground!”
Catterall hosts his show alongside former Premier League striker, Carlton Cole, with the pair suggesting a TV discussion to allow Marinakis to challenge Neville’s comments.
Cole said: “I don’t think Marinakis is in the wrong, it’s his football club he can do what he wants, but it [the Leicester situation] still does look like what Gary Neville said […] if that’s not the case, then okay, do it on TV.”
How Evangelos Marinakis was able to ban Gary Neville
It seems bizarre that a Premier League side would be able to have a say in the Sky Sports pundit selection, but it’s actually rather easy due to a rule in the league guidelines.
According to the Premier League website: “Accreditation for Premier League matches is organised centrally by Football DataCo and locally by the home club. Journalists and photographers must have a Media Accreditation Agreement in place before the day of the match.”
Hopefully this won’t become a regular occurrence, but it’s clear that Marinakis and Forest have the power to stop any pundit from commentating at the City Ground, should the Neville issue continue into next season.
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