In 2017, Evangelos Marinakis acquired Nottingham Forest. Recently, the Football Association (FA) has charged Crystal Palace with misconduct following the display of a controversial banner by supporters. The banner, unveiled during the 1-1 Premier League match at Selhurst Park in August, featured an image of Marinakis holding a gun to the head of midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, alongside the text: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking, or corruption.” Marinakis has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to these allegations. The FA’s charge against Crystal Palace pertains to the club’s failure to ensure that its supporters did not engage in improper, offensive, abusive, or provocative behavior. Although the specific banner was not cited as the direct reason for the charge, there are stringent regulations governing messaging that includes defamatory, political, or offensive content. Gibbs-White, who nearly left Nottingham Forest this summer following Tottenham’s activation of a £60 million release clause, ultimately opted to sign a new contract with the club, sharing insights about his decision in an interview with Marinakis. The match on August 24 marked the first encounter between the two teams since Palace’s relegation from the Europa League to the Conference League due to violations of UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations, which allowed Forest to take their place in the competition. Crystal Palace has until Tuesday to respond to the FA charge.
