Owner of Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos Marinakis to stand trial in Greece on charges of inciting football violence
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The court proceedings have begun in Athens against Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Nottingham Forest and Greece’s Olympiacos, who stands accused of inciting football-related violence and supporting a criminal organization. The 58-year-old businessman is being tried alongside four members of the Olympiacos board of directors.
Details: According to the BBC, the investigation was prompted by the death of 31-year-old police officer Georgios Lingeridis, who suffered fatal injuries from a flare during riots at a women’s volleyball match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in 2023. Authorities partially attribute responsibility for organizing the unrest to Marinakis’s associates.
“The accusations are completely groundless,” Marinakis’s lawyer Vasilis Dimakopoulos told BBC Sport.
As part of the case, 142 fans are charged with participating in a criminal organization and causing life-threatening explosions during sporting events.
The initial court session took place in a special chamber adjacent to the high-security Korydallos prison, under heightened security measures. The judicial panel is comprised of three judges, and the case involves more than 140 defendants and 220 witnesses. The next hearing is scheduled for November 25, and the proceedings are expected to stretch over several months.
Reminder: The English Football Association has charged Crystal Palace over a banner displayed during the match against Nottingham.
