August 26 – The English Football Association have opened an investigation after Crystal Palace fans displayed a banner of Evangelos Marinakis at their Premier League match against Nottingham Forest.
The banner depicted Forest owner Marinakis holding a gun to midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White’s head in a protest that reflected the tensions between the two clubs after Forest were admitted to the Europa League at Palace’s expense earlier this summer. The banner read: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption!”
Marinakis has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to such allegations, and the FA, which has strict rules around messaging on banners, announced an investigation.
Palace secured a Europa League spot with their surprise FA Cup victory over Manchester City in May, but were later barred from the competition after UEFA ruled they had broken Multi-Club regulations because co-owner John Textor – who has since sold his stake – also held a controlling interest in Lyon. The decision followed a lengthy dispute, with Palace complaining that Marinakis had written to UEFA to question Palace’s ownership structure.
With Palace excluded, Forest were promoted to the Europa League as the next in line, having finished seventh in the Premier League and originally qualifying for the Conference League.
Palace appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest tribunal in sport, but the decision was not overturned. The club’s chairman Steve Parish called the decision to remove Palace from the Europa League “the biggest injustice in the history of football.”
Contact the writer of this story Samindra Kunti at [email protected]