Nottingham Forest owner sues Crystal Palace over controversial banner

Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, has launched a defamation claim against Premier League rivals Crystal Palace. The case, filed at the High Court in London, reportedly concerns a banner displayed by Crystal Palace supporters during a match last season. The Greek shipping magnate has brought the action against CPFC Limited and 'persons unknown'. According to The Lawyer magazine, the dispute relates to a home match between Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in August 2025. Crystal Palace fans were protesting against Marinakis following their club's exclusion from the Europa League. Palace were moved to the Europa Conference League due to UEFA multi-club ownership regulations, with Nottingham Forest taking their place in the second-tier European competition. The banner in question depicted Marinakis appearing to point a gun at the head of Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. A speech bubble in the image read: 'Mr Marinakis is not involved in extortion, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.' Marinakis, who acquired Nottingham Forest in 2017 and also owns the Greek club Olympiacos, has consistently denied allegations of match-fixing, corruption and other illegal activities.