Forest owner Marinakis sues Crystal Palace after provocative fan banner

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has filed a libel lawsuit against Premier League club Crystal Palace and "Persons Unknown" at London's High Court. The action reportedly concerns a provocative banner displayed by Crystal Palace supporters during a match last season.

The banner targeted Marinakis, a Greek shipping magnate who also owns Olympiacos, with accusations of blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking, and corruption. These allegations surfaced after Crystal Palace was demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest taking their place. The banner depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, accompanied by a speech bubble denying involvement in illicit activities.

Marinakis has consistently denied all allegations of match-fixing, corruption, and other criminal activities. Neither his legal representatives nor Crystal Palace immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit filed on Monday. The case is now before the High Court.

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Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.