Football: Nottingham Forest FC Owner on Trial
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Evangelos Marinakis, the billionaire owner of Nottingham Forest FC, has gone on trial in Athens, on 5 November 2025, accused of instigating football violence and supporting a criminal organisation.
Marinakis, who also owns Olympiacos FC, is accused, together with four other board members, of two misdemeanour offences of instigating violence with statements against authorities and of supporting a criminal group between 2019 to 2024.
His lawyer has stated that:
"The accusations are totally baseless."
142 fans are charged with being members of a criminal organisation and causing life-threatening explosions at sporting events, 7 of whom are charged with running the criminal organisation. All of them have denied any wrongdoing.
The charges arise from the fatal injury suffered by a riot police officer, who was hit by a flare outside a women's volleyball match between Olympiacos FC and Panathinaikos FC in 2023.
More than 200 people are expected to testify in the trial, which is expected to last several months.
A special courtroom is being arranged to accommodate all involved in trial and the next hearing in the trial is scheduled to take place on 25 November 2025.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
