Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, has initiated legal action against Crystal Palace, filing a defamation claim at the High Court in London on Monday. The lawsuit stems from a banner displayed by Palace supporters during a Premier League match at Selhurst Park in October 2024, which depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of England forward Morgan Gibbs-White.
Banner Incident and Legal Action
The banner, which appeared midway through the first half of the 1-1 draw between Palace and Forest, also carried the message: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.” Marinakis has consistently denied these allegations. The claim is filed against CPFC Limited and “persons unknown,” according to court documents.
Lawyers for Marinakis have declined to comment on the case, while a spokesperson for Crystal Palace also offered no response. The incident has been a point of contention between the two clubs for nearly a year.
FA Fine and Previous Tensions
In February, the Football Association fined Crystal Palace £50,000 after finding the club guilty of failing to ensure its supporters did not behave in an “improper, offensive, abusive, insulting and/or provocative way” during the match. The FA noted in its statement that Palace had a policy to prevent banners from being smuggled into the stadium, indicating the club was aware of the risk.
The legal action adds to a history of friction between the clubs. Last summer, Forest wrote to UEFA expressing concerns that Palace might breach multiclub ownership rules. As a result, Palace were demoted to the Conference League, while Forest, who had finished seventh in the Premier League, were promoted in their place. Palace went on to win that competition under Oliver Glasner, while Forest reached the Europa League semi-finals.
Glasner's Move to Forest
In a surprising turn, Glasner left Palace at the end of his contract to join Forest, a move that has shocked supporters of both clubs. Glasner revealed this week that Marinakis persuaded him to change his mind during a dinner in Athens, after initially rejecting Forest because they were not in European competition next season.
“Then I had a more detailed look and there are two reasons why I changed my mind and I told him,” Glasner said. “Number one is I think there is more potential in the squad than they have shown. And number two is you, it’s your ambition, because I am very ambitious.”
Upcoming Fixture
Palace are scheduled to host Forest at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on 10 October, a match that will now carry added significance given the ongoing legal dispute.
