‘Storms’ in Nottingham

A devastating storm in the Atlantic hit a large part of the territory of Nottingham, in the EastWidlands of the United Kingdom. Heavy rain flooded many areas of the city, especially Lady Bay, an area of ​​West Bridgford, in Nottinghamshirewhere the rugby team has its stadium on the banks of the River Trent, not far from City landwhere he plays Nottingham Forest. The damage and losses due to the flood are huge. And, as if another consequence of this unexpected deluge, another kind of ‘storm’ is also threatening the historic football club, Forest. Just like it happened Everton A few months ago, allowed 10 points, the ‘tricky trees’ faced, with anxiety and concern, a possible penalty for financial violations of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) of the Premier League.

He forestwho experienced the expected sporting reaction in the last three weeks to the change of coach and the arrival of the Portuguese at the club Nuno Holy Spirit, has been preparing to defend himself for months. It has the ‘umbrella’ of a specialist law firm hired ‘publicly’ for the bad situation and to give convincing explanations to the Premier rectors about the alleged irregularities in its finances, especially in the movement of players. Forest is weighed down by an alleged breach of the loss limit of 105 million pounds (120 million euros) over three seasons), the same case in which Everton was sanctioned, and may now be sanctioned again, in review of 2023 accounts.

The clubs of Premier League Violators of profit and retention rules face immediate penalties that will be imposed before the end of the current campaign. Nottingham forest and Everton They will know on Monday, January 15, if they will face new charges for violating financial regulations. The Merseyside club, which is still waiting to get the ‘green light’ for the approval of its sale to American fund 777 Partners, is still struggling to reverse the 10-point deduction, which put it in the threatening low zone of descent The Premier’s new fast-track control rules, agreed in the summer, mean any club that exceeds losses by up to £105 million over a three-year period will be sanctioned at the start of this season. Only the “most exceptional cases”, including the 115 cases faced by Manchester City and Chelsea during the Abramovich era, are exempt from the new English league regulations.

Player substitution

For Nottingham Forest, Everton, and the other threatened clubs, which means that the accounts for the 2022-23 season will have to be presented by December 31, instead of March. Under review are player transfer movements, as Forest have signed 43 players since completing their promotion to the Premier League, in May 2022, and therefore have charges to defend. It is on high alert and has hired a well-known sports lawyer, Nick De Marco, who has extensive experience in the field of football, and especially in the rules of financial fair play. According to Forest, the club “fully complied with its reporting obligations regarding sustainability rules.”

One of his defense arguments was the sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham. The striker was sold for 47.5 million on deadline day, a record sale for the club, and Forest insisted they would have received a lower fee if they had accepted an offer earlier in the summer. Another shady operation under scrutiny is the baffling departure of Jonjo Shelvey. He forest His contract was terminated before he joined Turkish club Caykur Rizespor, on a free transfer, contrary to his original statement that he had left the club on loan. FIFA rules state that a club can loan a maximum of seven players at a time.

Marinakis’ dream

The tycoon Evangelos Marinakisowner of forest and the Greek Olympiakos, have invested more than 250 million pounds in transfers in an attempt to make the historic club from Nottingham – winners of two European Cups in 1979 and 1980 – a new emerging force in English football and regain its lost glory . That is the dream of the Greek businessman, who last month made the drastic decision to fire Steve Cooper, a beloved coach at City land since the day he managed to bring Forest back to the Premier League.

Cutting staff at Trentside was already a priority Nuno Holy Spirit, former Tottenham and Wolverhampton coach, has been named as Cooper’s successor on the City Ground bench. The new Nottingham Reds coach has also made clear his desire to work with fewer players. The start of Espirito Santo brought, however, the desired effect, an increase in enthusiasm, which occurred in consecutive victories against Newcastle (1-3) and Manchester United (2-1), which gave oxygen to escape from in a low position. . Marinakis is planning and investing in a big way to revive Forest’s past successes, under the motto followed by his mandate to his coaches: “I give the players. Now it’s your turn”. But the threat of a hurricane due to its possible extremes is still there, present and worrisome.