Nottingham Forest have released a statement after Taiwo Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery from urgent abdominal surgery.
It follows the wild scenes at full time in Forest’s 2-2 draw with Leicester, with owner Evangelos Marinakis seen remonstrating with Nuno Espirito Santo on the pitch.
The incident left many critical of the Greek owner, including Gary Neville describing his behaviour as “disgraceful”, only for the club to deny any “confrontation” with the Portuguese coach took place, instead labelling reports as “fake news”.
The Nigeria international, collided with a post late in the game on Sunday, underwent a procedure on Monday night and there is no suggestion that the 27-year-old’s condition is life threatening. The procedure could restrict the player’s movement and regulate his heart rate.
Awoniyi was left in agony and received several minutes of treatment on Sunday but was eventually allowed to continue, only to be rushed to hospital for treatment afterwards.
A Forest statement claimed Marinakis’ “reaction was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own. In moments like that he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence.”
While a lengthy statement from Forest was released on Tuesday night to update fans on the situation: “Nottingham Forest can confirm that Taiwo Awoniyi is recovering well so far following urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained during Sunday’s match against Leicester City.
“The seriousness of his injury is a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game, and why a player’s health and well-being must always come first. At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just policy for us; it is the deeply held belief and conviction of our owner. To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn’t just a football club — it’s family – and he instils that message in all of us.
“That is why he was so personally and emotionally invested in the situation that unfolded at the City Ground on Sunday. His reaction was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own. He didn’t just see it as an isolated incident, but as something that reflected the values and unity of the entire team.
“In moments like that he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence. In the final ten minutes of the game, when he saw our player clearly in discomfort, struggling through visible pain, it became increasingly difficult for him to stay on the sidelines. His deep frustration at seeing our player lying on the ground in severe pain -something no one with genuine care could ignore – triggered him to go onto the pitch. It was instinctive, human, and a reflection of just how much this team and its people mean to him. He would do the same again if such an unfortunate event were ever to reoccur.
“The truth of the matter is there was no confrontation, with Nuno or with others, either on the pitch or inside the stadium. There was only shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.
“In light of this, we urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context. Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one — least of all the injured player. We call on these influential voices to show the same respect for player welfare that they often demand from others. Let concern come before commentary.
“At Nottingham Forest, we believe the mental and physical well-being of our players and coaching staff must always take precedence — over media narratives, inflammatory judgements, and certainly over self-promotion. In moments like these, the game must unite around those who put their bodies and minds on the line every week. That’s what real leadership looks like in our game.”
