Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has visited Olympiacos striker Ayoub El Kaabi in hospital after the forward suffered a serious leg break. The injury occurred during Olympiacos's Greek Super League match against Volos on Saturday.
El Kaabi, a 33-year-old Morocco international, was stretchered off after Volos goalkeeper Marios Siampanis blocked his path and landed on his leg. The player signaled urgently for medical attention by raising his arm. He was subsequently hospitalised and underwent successful surgery on the broken leg.
The incident happened during a league fixture on Saturday. El Kaabi, last season's Golden Boot winner in Greece, was through on goal when the collision with the goalkeeper occurred. The severity of the injury was immediately apparent, leading to a lengthy stoppage in play. Olympiacos, the record 48-time Greek champions, are currently third in the league after three matches, sitting two points behind leaders Panetolikos.
Marinakis, who is both the owner of Nottingham Forest and president of Olympiacos, visited El Kaabi in person at the hospital. He also posted a public message of support on social media. "Ayoub, wishing you a strong recovery and all the strength in the world!" Marinakis said. This personal touch highlights the close-knit nature of the clubs under his ownership.
From his hospital bed, El Kaabi issued a statement via Instagram to thank those who have supported him. "The procedure performed by our Olympiacos team doctor was successful," he said. "I thank our president, the coach, the players, and the support staff for their support. It means a great deal to me." His focus is now on a long rehabilitation process.
While Marinakis's attention is divided by this off-field event, his Premier League club faces its own challenges. Nottingham Forest currently sit 16th in the Premier League table with two points from their first three games, a record of zero wins, two draws and one loss. They have scored just two goals this season while conceding three, leaving them with a minus one goal difference. They are seven points behind early leaders Manchester City. The club's next fixture is an away trip to face Aston Villa on September 12th. Villa are currently 17th in the standings. Forest will also be without the sidelined Nicolò Savona for that match. Fans can track the team's progress in the standings as the season develops.
