Nuno Espírito Santo Urges Trust in Referees Amid Criticism

Nuno Espírito Santo, Nottingham Forest manager has emphasized the need to trust referees as he aims to temper his criticism of officiating. Nuno expressed confidence in the new standards for refereeing, which Howard Webb, the former World Cup referee now overseeing English officiating, drives. The Football Association fined Nuno and Forest defender Neco Williams for their remarks about referees following Forest’s 2-0 Premier League loss to Everton in April.

The FA imposed a £40,000 fine and a one-game touchline ban, suspended until May 2026, on Nuno while Williams received a £24,000 fine. After the Everton defeat, which featured three contentious penalty decisions against Forest, Nuno and Williams criticized the refereeing. This criticism led to their sanctions. Nuno has since met with Webb to discuss changes aimed at improving refereeing standards and speeding up decision-making processes.

He hopes these changes will enhance officiating not just for Forest but across the Premier League. Nuno acknowledged that the club must support and trust the referees despite past frustrations. The Football Association also investigates a charge against Forest related to an angry statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) immediately after the Everton game, which went viral with over 45 million views.

Forest’s 2024-25 Premier League season begins with a match against Bournemouth at the City Ground on Saturday. Additionally, the Premier League has addressed concerns over public criticism of the VAR system, urging clubs and managers to avoid undermining the technology. In June, Premier League clubs voted to retain VAR for the new season with Wolves being the sole club advocating for its removal.

The league will implement changes including semi-automated offsides to reduce delays, by October.