Referees must take responsibility for decisions - Nuno

Nottingham Forest are one place and one point above the Premier League relegation zone

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has called on referees to take responsibility and stop relying on VAR.

The head coach labelled the technology “a mess” but insisted Forest do not have a personal issue with Stuart Attwell – despite singling out the video assistant referee for Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.

Forest are expected to face Premier League and Football Association charges after a social media post on Sunday - now viewed more than 44m times - called Attwell’s integrity into question.

They had three penalty claims rejected, with the club posting on its official X account minutes after the final whistle that they had warned referees' body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), that Attwell is allegedly a fan of relegation rivals Luton.

Nuno remains unhappy about the nature of decisions throughout the season.

“My personal feeling is about referees not taking decisions on the pitch," he said, before Sunday’s visit of Manchester City.

"They were doing it before so they should do it again and then comes VAR, not the other way around. The other way around is a huge mistake for the game."

Despite raising some concerns with PGMOL last week, the club did not ask for Attwell to be taken off VAR duties for the Everton match, BBC Sport has been told.

Nuno added the "general feeling" in football is that referees are waiting for VAR to intervene instead of making their own decisions.

“When it came I supported it but maybe, one day not much ahead of us, we will say football was better before VAR because it’s been a mess," said Nuno.

But Nuno said Forest do not want Attwell to receive any abuse because of their statement.

He said: “We don’t want things to go much further and it becomes personal or abusive to the referees."

What happened?

Forest were furious that three penalty decisions involving Everton's Ashley Young in their 2-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday, which left them a point above the Premier League relegation zone, were rejected.

Claims for penalties after Young's challenge on Gio Reyna, his handball and then his attempted tackle on Callum Hudson-Odoi were all turned down by Anthony Taylor on the pitch, with VAR Attwell not intervening.

'The VAR is a Luton fan' - what has been said?

Mark Clattenburg, appointed as Forest's referee analyst in February, said in the Mail on Sunday the three decisions were "a joke" and it was why Forest were feeling "victimised".

On Monday, Forest demanded the public release of the officials' audio.

It follows Liverpool’s similar request when Luis Diaz’s goal was incorrectly disallowed in their 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in September.

PGMOL has allowed the club to listen to the audio privately.

Also on Monday, the Football Association formally asked for observations from Forest, Nuno, defender Neco Williams and Clattenburg following their comments.

Soon after the Premier League released its own statement saying it was "never appropriate to improperly question the integrity of match officials" and they will launch their own investigation.

Attwell called up for Euro 2024

This week, Attwell was named as one of the VAR officials for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.

He is joined by David Coote, while Taylor and Michael Oliver will be the on-field officials from England.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean said Attwell was the expert VAR in England.

He has been the VAR for four Forest games this season and refereed two. He has officiated in 10 matches involving clubs battling against relegation.

"Stuart is one of the most honest referees we've got," Dean told Sky Sports. "He is one of the best VARs we have in the country and throughout the world. To question his integrity was bang out of order."