Evangelos Marinakis sues Crystal Palace over defamatory banner

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has filed a defamation lawsuit in London’s High Court against Crystal Palace and ‘persons unknown’. The legal action stems from a controversial banner displayed by Crystal Palace supporters during a Premier League match at Selhurst Park in August 2025.

The banner depicted Marinakis pointing a gun at the head of Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, accompanied by text sarcastically stating that Marinakis was not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking, or corruption. Marinakis has consistently denied all such allegations.

The incident follows previous disciplinary action by the Football Association (FA). In February 2026, an independent commission fined Crystal Palace £50,000 after finding the club breached rules by failing to ensure supporters did not behave in an improper, offensive, or provocative manner. The lawsuit marks an escalation of the tension between the two clubs, which has been further strained by recent disputes regarding UEFA multi-club ownership rules.