Nottingham Forest, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Neco Williams Charged with Misconduct by FA; Mark Clattenburg Leaves Role

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has left his role with Nottingham Forest, as manager Nuno Espirito Santo and defender Neco Williams face misconduct charges from the Football Association.

The FA has charged Nuno and Williams for their comments following a 2-0 defeat at Everton last month, alleging that their remarks imply bias and question the integrity of match officials, bringing the game into disrepute. The club, manager, and player have until Thursday to respond to the charges.

Forest had three penalty decisions go against them in the match against Everton, leading to a heated statement released on social media. The club claimed that the video assistant referee (VAR) Stuart Attwell was allegedly a fan of relegation rivals Luton, but did not request his replacement prior to the match.

Clattenburg, who began working with Forest as a referee analyst in February, cited unintended friction between the club and other participants as the reason for his departure. He expressed disappointment at the targeting of him personally and the lack of understanding of the value of his role in the modern game.

The Premier League has also announced an investigation into the comments made by Forest, adding to the ongoing controversy surrounding the club. Despite the turmoil, Clattenburg remains hopeful that his experience as a match official can help clubs understand the workings of VAR in key match incidents.