According to reports, Evangelos Marinakis has owned the historic Nottingham Forest since 2017. In 2022, the club was promoted to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

It is now confirmed that Nottingham will definitely participate in European competitions next season. However, the team missed a great opportunity to move closer to Champions League qualification on Sunday when they drew 2-2 with relegated Leicester. A win would have placed them fifth, a position that could secure Champions League qualification due to English clubs’ strong performance in European competitions.

Marinakis was so angry with the result that he entered the pitch and directly confronted Nuno Espírito Santo, the team’s head coach. He spoke angrily with him for about 20 seconds before storming off to the dressing room. This is not the first time the Greek billionaire has made controversial headlines.

He also owns Rio Ave in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and Olympiacos, the major Greek club. Years ago, after a 3-0 defeat, he shouted at his players: “You’re not even worth the toilet paper in our training center! Instead of wishing you a good holiday, I say: Go and die!”

For nearly 14 years, serious allegations have been made against Marinakis. Serious accusations, but none have been proven so far. It is alleged that the Nottingham owner was involved in corruption, match-fixing, and organized crime.

Bombing accusation against Marinakis

According to some reports, Marinakis, along with Georgios Sarris, former president of the Greek Football Federation, formed a criminal organization for match-fixing. In 2015, Marinakis was one of the main defendants in a major Greek football scandal and was prosecuted for match-fixing. There were also cases filed against him for heroin trafficking.
Additionally, he was accused of ordering a bombing at a referee’s bakery because the referee refused to cooperate with Marinakis and officiate according to his wishes.

The Greek Supreme Civil and Criminal Court ruled in April 2019 that Marinakis and 27 other defendants should stand trial. However, two years later, he was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Some observers questioned the independence of the Greek judiciary. Marinakis is considered one of the most influential oligarchs in his homeland.

Marinakis has repeatedly declared his innocence. He said: “The things being said are not only astonishing but also unimaginable and have no connection to my personality and mindset.”

He believes that one of Donald Trump’s aides was behind these accusations. For this reason, he sued the American company “Harris Media,” which worked in Trump’s 2016 election campaign. However, no court ruling has been issued on this matter yet.

But Marinakis continues to make headlines with his actions. Last October, he was banned by the English Football Association for five Premier League matches. Reason: After a 1-0 loss to Fulham, he spat at the match officials.
Marinakis claimed it was unintentional and that he had only coughed due to smoking a cigar. But CCTV footage showed he had deliberately spat.

A month ago, he was also accused of inciting violence—violence that occurred during clashes between fans of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos at a volleyball match, where a Greek police officer was injured by a flare and later died from his injuries. Marinakis defended himself, saying the investigation was “a disgrace to the democratic values of a so-called European country.”

In the last two matches of the season, Nottingham first visits West Ham and then hosts Chelsea in what could be a decisive match for Champions League qualification—perhaps Marinakis will turn the Champions League into another scene of controversy.